Former Buckeye Ebner scores, helps USA rugby split games Tuesday

Nate Ebner, a former Ohio State Buckeyes football player with Springfield ties, and the United States rugby team split a pair of matches in Olympic pool play Tuesday in Rio.

The New England Patriot scored the second try in the USA’s 26-0 win over Brazil after the Eagles dropped their Olympic opener, a 17-14 decision to fifth-ranked Argentina.

Carlin Isles of Massillon also scored for the U.S. against Brazil.

Ebner, who was on the field for both of the U.S. second-half tries in the opener, became the first active NFL player to participate in the Olympics.

RELATED: Nate Ebner makes Olympic rugby team

Before heading to Rio, he took a few minutes to explain the differences between playing football and rugby, a sport he excelled in before walking on to the Ohio State football team.

His father, Jeff, was the owner of an auto reclamation business in Springfield and tragically killed trying to defend it from a robbbery.

Ebner graduated from Hilliard Davidson High School. He played for the U.S. U-19 and U-20 national rugby teams and played three seasons of football for the Buckeyes.

The U.S. returns to action at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday against Fiji.

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