Former England Sevens player Alex Gray has become the first English rugby union professional to quit the sport to take up American Football, signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Gray was England Sevens player of the year in 2015 and made over 40 Premiership appearances for London Irish, as well as featuring for Newcastle and Yorkshire Carnegie.

He also captained the likes of Owen Farrell, George Ford and Jonathan Joseph to the Under-20 Grand Slam and Junior World Championship Final in 2011, but has quit the sport after being offered a place on the NFL's International Player Pathway programme.