While the members of the USA Men's National Rugby Team packed their bags Tuesday for a trip to South Carolina, local standout Nate Ellis could only watch. The Valparaiso resident's dream of representing his country has been put on hold.

Ellis, a 30-year-old Lake Station graduate, was one of about 30 players invited to a camp hosted by the USA Men's National Team, otherwise known as the Eagles, in Glendale, Colo. For the past two weeks, Ellis had been training with the Eagles as they prepared for their upcoming International Rugby Board World Cup qualifying matches against Canada.

Twenty-two players made the final cut for the Eagles' roster. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-1, 250-pound Ellis learned he wasn't one of them.

Ellis is remaining optimistic, though, because he could be called upon to play for the Eagles at any moment.

"My foot is still in the door," Ellis said via phone from Colorado. "I have a few things to work on with technique. The guys who I was competing against (for a roster spot) at my position -- one plays professionally in Europe, one plays in Canada and the other one plays in New Zealand."

Ellis' journey toward his tryout with the Eagles began when he joined the Northwest Indiana Exiles when he was 19. After playing for the Exiles for a few years, former Exiles player and coach Paul Vogel II encouraged Ellis to pursue a role with the Chicago Lions of the Rugby Super League, the premier level of men's club competition in the U.S.

"I saw the potential, and I saw his heart," said Vogel, a Valparaiso resident and Chesterton graduate who also played for the Lions and trained with the Eagles. "I said, 'Leave right now. Go to the Lions. Take this seriously. When you're 40 years old and you look back, you'll be thankful.'"

Following Vogel's advice created a tough adjustment for Ellis, but the move paid off.

"It was a little bit of an eye-opener," Ellis said. "I knew it was going to be tougher, but the fitness level was a huge jump. When I played for the Exiles, I was able to use my strength to overpower most people. When you go to the next level, you have to really work on your technique."

During the past four years as a member of the Lions, Ellis proved he was more than capable of making the transition to the Super League. Last season, he finished in a tie for second in tries, rugby's version of a touchdown.

Lions assistant coach Chris McClellan said Ellis' statistical achievement is remarkable, considering he plays the prop position.

"To have a guy with that speed at his position, he just becomes a weapon," McClellan said. ... "He's like an offensive lineman who's scoring. When Nate's running in the open field, he's basically unstoppable."

Perhaps an even more impressive aspect of Ellis' life is his ability to juggle working at U.S. Steel in Portage and training as an elite athlete. It's a lifestyle many of his American teammates can relate to.

"It's very hard for a lot of rugby players in the U.S.," Ellis said. "Overseas it's professional, but here a lot of guys have days jobs like I do. I have to work hard to find the time off to train.

"It was a little bit of a shock (when I was invited to the Eagles' camp). I had a little bit of excitement, and my second thought was, 'How am I gonna get the time off of work?'"

Fortunately for Ellis, he was able to take time off from work and chase his dream. He said he was honored to train with the Eagles, and he'll continue to work toward earning a roster spot.

"If you're aspiring to play for the country, you can't really take a break from training," Ellis said. "You have to put the effort in."