A former rugby player from Samoa who traded the pitch for the gridiron through the NFL's International Player Pathway program.
Laki Tasi is a massive defensive tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders whose path to American football ran through rugby league and rugby union in Brisbane, Australia. Selected for the NFL's International Player Pathway program in December 2024, he has since worked his way between the practice squad and the Raiders' interior line depth chart.
Path to the league
Born in Samoa, Tasi moved to Brisbane, Australia as a child, where he began playing rugby league before switching to rugby union. After losing significant weight in 2023 and being persuaded to try American football, he trained at the NFL Academy on the Gold Coast and was selected for the NFL's International Player Pathway program in December 2024, training at the NFL Asia Pacific Academy and IMG Academy in Florida.
Career highlights
Tasi's path is notable for its unconventional origin story: a rugby background with no prior American football experience before entering the IPP pipeline. NFL analyst Scott Pioli praised his combination of size and developmental upside as an interior defensive lineman, citing his exceptional length at 34.5-inch arms.
2025 season recap
Tasi signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent in April 2025, was waived in final roster cuts in late August, and was re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Raiders in January 2026 and has worked at both offensive and defensive line spots as the team addresses its interior depth.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Laki Tasi
- ESPN: Laki Tasi
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- -
- Hometown
- -
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
