At a shade under 7-feet tall and blessed with agility, strength and leaping ability, Mason Cox has some pretty serious advantages in the sport of Australian Rules football.

He also has one major disadvantage compared to every other elite player – he had never heard of the sport until four years ago.

Cox, a member of the Oklahoma State men's basketball team from 2012 to '14, will play for Collingwood in front of 100,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday (12.30 a.m. ET) in the Australian Football League Grand Final, the title game of Australia’s national sport.

“Aussie Rules,” as it is commonly known, is a sometimes brutal 18-a-side adventure played on a giant oval, and where aerial hops, catching prowess and physicality are paramount. Teams from Australia sometimes look for fresh talent in the U.S., but few of the prospects ever amount to anything.

Cox is the exception.

“Sometimes I wonder how I got here,” Cox told reporters. “It has been a pretty crazy journey, just a life-changing experience.”

It has been a rapid learning curve for the 27-year-old from Highland Village, Texas, one that still leaves him bemused. After a game-winning performance in the semifinal against the Melbourne-based Richmond Tigers last week, Cox has become one of the most talked-about athletes in Australia, while his parents Phil and Jeanette have also become celebrities, after having been shown on television celebrating his three-goal masterpiece.

Several pundits have predicted Cox will find things far tougher against the West Coast Eagles this weekend, with the Eagles expected to reserve special (physical) treatment for Cox.

More:James Harrison: NFL trying to make Clay Matthews 'poster boy' for roughing the passer

More:NFL QB Hot Sheet: Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Saints' Drew Brees stand out from pack

But Cox’s sporting endeavors have been all about battling the odds. Back at Oklahoma State he was recruited to the basketball team in bizarre circumstances. After initially being spotted playing pick-up ball, he was called in to scrimmage against the Cowboys’ women’s team, which was preparing to play against towering Baylor star Brittney Griner. When members of the men’s team saw him in action, he was asked to join the squad and ultimately played 24 games over three seasons.

Cox thought his athletic career was over when he graduated in 2014 and had a job lined up with Exxon Mobil. But after impressing a group of Australian teams, including Collingwood, at a Los Angeles combine, he embarked upon an overseas adventure that continues to this very day

“I'm still a little reactive, rather than knowing instinctively what to do,” Cox told The Age in Melbourne, while laughing about some of his error-strewn early training sessions. “There isn't much you can do about that, but play more. I'm pretty proud of myself to have gotten this far.”

Collingwood has seen enough to sign him to a new contract that runs until 2020, while the Australian fans have loved seeing his progress. Collingwood’s nickname is the Magpies, often shortened to the ‘Pies. So, as well as chanting “U-S-A, U-S-A” whenever Cox makes a big play, he has also landed himself a nickname: “American Pie.”

“He’s a legend,” Collingwood fan Michael Force told USA TODAY Sports. “His game definitely has limitations but he gets stuck in and his size makes him tough to defend. It is clear that he loves it here, and we love having him.”

Aussie Rules can take some getting used to. Goals are worth six points each, while a mark – catching the ball before it bounces – earns a free-kick. Against Richmond, Cox snared 11 marks, eight of them contested, more than any other player in a game this season.

Then there is the AFL’s postseason, a convoluted system that includes quarterfinals, semifinals and a preliminary final and before reaching its crescendo at the iconic MCG stadium.

“There are still things I’m getting my head around now,” Cox said.

If all goes to plan this weekend, he’ll be getting a winners medal around his neck. Either way, he’s found a career he never dreamed of, and a home away from home.