The challenge of making it in rugby league, a game he has never played despite recently turning 28, is not the largest obstacle Adam Channel has had to overcome in his life.
Football has long been a refuge for Channel, the co-winner of the NRL combine in Las Vegas earlier this month.
“My dad was in the picture when I was really young, but because of some issues that he had, some problems and addictions, our relationship really went down the shitter,” Channel said.
“When I was nine, we had a pretty bad car accident and everything spiralled from there. My dad was drunk-driving, myself and my two younger brothers were in the car as well.
“My dad was injured really bad. He broke his femur, and messed his face up. I had four feet of my large intestine removed and I spent about seven weeks in the hospital.
“After that, everything started going downhill. My dad and I had always had physical altercations, but at the end of high school we had a pretty bad one. That was it. After that argument, we didn’t see each other until six years later.
US rugby sevens Olympian Adam Channel, co-winner of the 2025 NRL combine in Las Vegas.Credit: NRL Imagery
“Throughout this entire experience, I was dealing with stuff mentally; watching your parents get divorced, being with family that may not have been in the best situation. Having it out and being able to go somewhere like rugby … it was kind of comforting. It was something I was drawn to and looked forward to.”
Channel’s escape from his troubles was rugby union. What began as an outlet eventually became a vocation. A sevens rugby representative for the United States, the game took him all over the world, including to Paris for the Olympic Games last year.
“It’s been the pinnacle of my career and arguably one of the best experiences of my life,” he said.
It’s a journey that could end up at the most unlikely destination of all: an NRL berth. Channel and fellow male combine winner Marcus D’Acre – who has already struck a deal with the Newcastle Knights – aim to make it all the way from the United States to the pinnacle of the game.
Adam Channel is used to overcoming adversity.Credit: NRL Imagery
Given neither has played league before, the odds are stacked against them. However, Channel is bullish about his chances.
“When my dad and I reconnected and I first got an opportunity to play professionally in the United States, he basically told me, ‘You won’t be able to do it, you should quit and get a real job,’” Channel said.
“It’s one of those things that I felt I needed to prove him wrong. I’ve always felt strongly about proving people who doubt me wrong.
“Coming into a sport that is foreign to a lot of Americans, I think it would be incredible to be the first American to represent in rugby league, I’d take a lot of pride in that.
“It would be very special for my family to have an achievement like that. Also, I’d like to pave the way for other Americans to come down and pursue something like this.
“Rugby league in Australia is so established – it would be like Jordan Mailata coming into the NFL. He took that leap of faith and became a Super Bowl champion.”
Channel has had to overcome other setbacks to come this far. During a sevens tournament in 2021, the winger was the victim of a hip-drop tackle.
“My ankle got completely folded back,” he said. “Basically the inside of my foot touched my shin. I fractured my tibia and fibula, I tore six ligaments and had 80 per cent of my cartilage ripped off the bone.”
The injury could easily have been a career-ending one. But Channel fought back in time to achieve his Olympic ambition. Now he wants to again prove to his twin brothers, who are five years younger, that anything is possible.
“I know it’s a super-cliche, but it’s showing them that if you set your mind to something, no matter how many people are doubting you, you can do it,” he said.
“Growing up in situations that me and my brothers were in, having to take care of my brothers has been the greatest experience of my life.
“I’ve always tried to be a role model and a father figure to them. In no way at all have I been perfect, but the most adversity I’ve been through in my life is trying to be there for them.
“That’s taught me a lot, not just about being a better sibling but being a better rugby player and better person.
“Proving people wrong is something I’ve had to become accustomed to, but it’s not my main motivator, it’s to be a good role model for younger brothers.”
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