USA women Rugby Sevens squad made Olympic history after defeating Australia to win bronze — the first-ever medal in the Games for the event.
The Rugby Sevens squad has gained tons of popularity as this team has run through the competition in Paris, and one of its stars, Ilona Maher, has been a main reason why.
Maher’s competitive spirit has shined in the Olympics, especially when she has the ball in her hands. She has been mowing down opponents, and football fans have compared her to one of the most bruising running backs in the NFL: Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry.
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Ilona Maher #2 of Team United States looks on during the Women’s Rugby Sevens Pool C match between France and United States on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 29, 2024 in Paris, France. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
And as it turns out, Henry is a fan, too.
The Ravens shared a clip of Henry reacting to Maher’s viral run against Japan, where she had a Henry-esque stiff arm that cleared the way for an impressive try score.
USA WOMEN’S RUGBY SEVENS TEAM UPSETS AUSTRALIA TO WIN BRONZE MEDAL IN WALK-OFF FASHION
“Get off of me!” Henry said during his reaction to the viral run from Maher.
“Oh yeah, she got it — mindset, running strong and hard,” Henry added. “Not trying to go down and get into the end zone by any means. I love it. Makes me want to get out there, too.”
In a sport that requires some heavy hitting, Maher went searching for contact against Japan when she started sprinting up the right side of the field with opponents in her way. Instead, of trying to run around them, Maher ran right through the closest Japanese player, knocking her to the ground with a stiff arm for the ages.
Maher, then, was off to the races in the blowout victory over Japan.
A similar run came against Brazil in the group stage, where she bullied her way down the field for another score.
Maher’s influence on the NFL was seen earlier at the Olympics, when now-retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce was spotted wearing a shirt covered in American flags with her face on it. Kelce was seen wearing the shirt during the women’s gymnastics team final, where Simone Biles & Co. won gold.
Ilona Maher of United States is chased by Sakura Mizutani of Team Japan during the Women’s Pool C match between United States and Japan on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Kelce also met Maher and the rest of the Rugby Sevens squad, where he said on her TikTok page that he’s an official supporter of the team after learning more about the game.
Team USA, of course, wanted to win gold, but getting a medal led to tears all over the field for Maher and her teammates, as they knew history was made.
Their efforts throughout the Olympics has created a broad, new fan base, and they will surely feel the love when they get back to the States.
Baltimore Ravens star running back Derrick Henry reacted to USA Rugby Sevens star Ilona Maher’s run that resembled his own (Getty Images)
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Henry, and many more, are already showing it.
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