WELLINGTON, New Zealand — After a successful college career as a tight end for the Arizona State University Sun Devils, Chris Coyle’s dreams of playing in the N.F.L. seemed about to be realized when he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Houston Texans.

But when a shoulder injury saw him miss the cut for the Texans’ final playing roster, one of the top franchises in Super Rugby stepped up to offer him a shot at an alternative career.

The ACT Brumbies from Australia are setting up a rugby program at A.S.U. that they believe will give them access to the largely untapped market of American athletes and provide an outlet for some of the thousands of football players who don’t make it into the N.F.L.

“I’ve played gridiron my whole life,” Coyle said. “I gave that its chance and did the best I possibly could, and now it’s time to move on to rugby. I haven’t regretted it once.”