League, one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL), and four years of minor league baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies. American football to rugby league American football to rugby union NB: Isles made the Detroit Lions practice squad late in the 2013 season, after having become a sevens international. However, he never appeared in an NFL game, and has since signed a professional contract in 15s. Tardits switched codes twice: to American football as a young adult, and back to rugby union after a brief NFL career. He played for Biarritz Olympique and the France under-21 national team before switching to American football, and played for the USA national team after returning to his original code. From association football Association football to American football Numerous American football placekickers grew up playing association football (soccer); however, very few have competed at a very high level in their original code. A large number of the first "soccer-style" placekickers of the 1960s, and early 1970s were Europeans and Latin Americans who changed codes in adulthood. Eventually, kickers who changed codes in adulthood were largely, though not completely, displaced by players who were either born and raised in the U.S. or immigrated to the U.S. at a relatively early age, thus receiving more exposure to American football than most of the first soccer-style placekickers. Most of the women to have played men's American football have crossed over from association football. Association football to Australian rules football Following the establishment of AFL Women's in 2016 (the first professional women's Australian rules football competition), several Australian soccer players switched codes. Foot skills are advantageous in switching between these codes and goalkeepers have an advantage in marking and ball handling. Association football to Gaelic football Association football to rugby league St Helens R.F.C. players Steve Tyrer and Matty Smith were on the books at Wigan Athletic and Everton F.C. respectively. Tyrer was a goalkeeper and Smith was a midfielder, the latter appearing in the Everton reserve team on a few occasions. Association football to rugby union Luke McAlister, a New Zealand international rugby union footballer, grew up in the north-west of England and had a trial with Manchester United before converting to rugby union at an early age. The late Nevin Spence, former Ulster and Ireland A player, played for Northern Ireland under 16s before switching to rugby. Loreto Cucchiarelli former player-coach of the Italian rugby union