Carlin Isles facts for kids
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| Birth name | Carlin Russell Isles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | November 21, 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Akron, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Ashland University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Carlin Isles, born on November 21, 1989, is an American rugby union player. He is well-known for playing for the United States national rugby sevens team. Many people call him the fastest rugby player in the world! He has scored many "tries" (like touchdowns in rugby) for the U.S. team. In fact, he is second in career tries for the United States, right behind his teammate Perry Baker.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Carlin Isles and his twin sister, Tambra, grew up in Akron, Ohio. They lived in foster homes for a while. When Carlin was seven years old, he and his sister were adopted by Starlett and Charles Isles. Carlin says his adoptive parents gave him the support and love he needed to do well in sports.
Carlin Isles' Amazing Athletic Start
Carlin Isles was a very talented athlete from a young age. He played American football and ran track and field while attending Jackson High School (Massillon, Ohio).
At Jackson High School, Carlin set many records:
- He holds school records for the long jump, 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter races.
- He was also part of a record-holding relay team.
- In 2007, he ran the 100-meter race in 10.58 seconds, which was a school and county record.
- He won state championships in the 60-meter dash twice indoors.
- In his senior year, he ran a super-fast 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds.
- He was also a great football player, earning all-conference and all-county honors.
Carlin continued his athletic journey at Ashland University.
- He kept running track and playing American football.
- He became an All-American in the 60-meter dash, running it in a school-record time of 6.68 seconds.
- He also holds freshman records for the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes.
- In football, he set school records for the most kickoff return yards in a game (174 yards) and the longest kickoff return for a touchdown (100 yards).
Before he started playing rugby in 2012, Carlin was ranked as the 36th fastest sprinter in the United States. His best time in the 100-meter race was 10.13 seconds.
Carlin Isles' Rugby Journey
Carlin Isles started playing rugby in 2012. Another athlete named Miles Craigwell, who also switched from American football, encouraged him to try the sport. Carlin played for a club team called the Gentlemen of Aspen RFC in Colorado.
People in the rugby world quickly noticed Carlin in the summer of 2012. A magazine called Rugby Mag even called him "The Fastest Man in American Rugby."
Playing for the National Team
Carlin Isles played his first game for the U.S. national sevens team in October 2012. He came into the game against New Zealand and scored a try in his very first minute! He scored three tries in that tournament and was one of the top scorers for the U.S. team.
Carlin's amazing speed quickly became famous. A YouTube video titled "Carlin Isles: Olympic Dream" went viral in December 2012. It now has over 7 million views! At the end of the video, a famous rugby commentator named Nigel Starmer-Smith said:
I've never seen anyone that quick on a rugby field ever ever, XVs or Sevens. I don't think anyone else has either.
Carlin played for the U.S. national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This was special because rugby sevens was played as an Olympic sport for the first time.
On February 29, 2020, Carlin made history by becoming the first U.S. player to score 200 tries. He achieved this in a game against Samoa during the 2019-20 World Rugby Sevens Series in Los Angeles.
Carlin Isles' Scoring Records
The table below shows how many tries Carlin Isles scored each season in the World Rugby Sevens Series. This information is up to July 19, 2022.
| WR 7s Season | Tries | U.S. Rank | World Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | 17 | 2nd | 31st |
| 2014–15 | 32 | 1st | 4th |
| 2015–16 | 16 | 4th | – |
| 2016–17 | 6 | 10th | – |
| 2017–18 | 49 | 1st | 1st |
| 2018–19 | 52 | 1st | 1st |
| 2019–20 | 22 | 1st | 2nd |
| 2020–21 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2021–22 | 10 | 5th | – |
| Career | 217 | 2nd | 8th |
Source:
Professional Rugby
Carlin Isles also played professional rugby for a short time.
- In February 2014, he signed a contract to play with Glasgow Warriors in Scotland.
- He helped the Warriors' sevens team win the Melrose Sevens tournament in April 2014.
- Even though he didn't play for the main Glasgow Warriors team, he gained experience playing 15-a-side rugby with an amateur club called Ayr RFC.
- At the end of that season, Carlin decided to leave the club. He wanted to focus on playing rugby sevens to prepare for the 2016 Olympics.
Carlin Isles and the NFL
Before focusing on rugby, Carlin Isles also had a brief experience with the NFL.
- On December 26, 2013, he was signed to the practice squad of the Detroit Lions.
- During a workout with the Lions, Carlin ran the 40-yard dash in an incredible 4.22 seconds!
- In February 2014, he left the Lions to sign his contract with the Glasgow Warriors rugby team.
See Also
- List of players who have converted from one football code to another
