HENDERSON, Nev. --When Laki Tasi took a trip to Grubbies Burgers and Hawaiian BBQ in Queensland, Australia, last September, he was given more than a meal to satisfy his hunger.

Tasi was enjoying a double patty burger when he had a conversation with his friend and the restaurant's owner, Ben Niumata. They discussed life in depth until their conversation shifted to the NFL.

At the time, Tasi was a member of the Ashgrove GPS Rugby Club of the Queensland Premier Rugby Union and was largely unfamiliar with American football. However, the NFL fan Niumata was strongly convinced that Tasi's size, 6-foot-6 and 346 pounds at the time, was better suited for the gridiron.

"He was like 'You should try the NFL,'" Tasi recalled. "He [ saw ] my potential... I didn't see that [ in myself ] on

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