NFL: Kenya's Adongo to make first appearance with the Colts tommorrow

KENYA: Kenya’s Daniel Adongo is finally starting to feel comfortable with the Indianapolis Colts.

That’s good: The Kenyan rugby player is about to play his first American football game — ever — when Indianapolis faces the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in a showdown of NFL division leaders.

Adongo has worked out the lingo and nuances of the sport, learned the proper way to put on pads and a helmet, and knows his place in the Colts’ locker room. There’s still more work to do, but the newly minted linebacker will get to show the American football world how far he’s come in four months.

He will be primarily on special teams, but playing American football for the first time in the NFL in a game with playoff implications?

“I am excited,” Adongo said on Wednesday. “As I said before and I’ll reiterate it, my excitement is being subdued by the fact I have a task, an obligation to perform what’s being asked from me.”

It was late July when general manager Ryan Grigson decided to take the plunge after a yearlong quest to find an overseas player who could help his team. Grigson gambled on Adongo, a Kenyan rugby player who was big, fast and had a penchant for hitting.

Adongo, surprised initially by the invite, made the flight to Atlanta, then hopped on a connecting plane to Indy and worked out at the Colts’ headquarters during a rookie mini-camp. Within hours, the Colts signed Adongo to a contract and two days later, the 6-foot-5, (1.96m, 117kg) American football novice stood out when he reported to training camp in a pair of short shorts and football-style shirt.

Back then, of course, some wondered if Adongo could cut it in the NFL. There are few doubters left.

“It was a stretch,” NFL sacks leader Robert Mathis said when asked about his initial thoughts of Adongo succeeding.

Rather than pushing Adongo into preseason games, they kept their secret under wraps as he got acclimated. Adongo started the season on the practice squad.

Coach Chuck Pagano said he expects the rookie to play primarily on special teams and he’s confident Adongo will make a difference.

“The guy is a smart guy. We know from a physical standpoint he’s very, very athletic. He can run. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s a tireless worker. He’s been a great pro,” Pagano said.

He played for Kenya’s Under-18 and U19 rugby squads. In 2006, scouts from the University of South Africa spotted Adongo during a tournament and a year later, he was attending the school. Then it was off to the Sharks Academy. He’s competed in second-tier club championships in South Africa and New Zealand since 2010, and made his Super Rugby debut this year with the Southern Kings.

“He’s taken the language, the lingo, digested it and regurgitated that to the point now where he asks questions and we have to go back and look it (the language) up,” Mathis said, smiling.