South African Gerhard de Beer has been signed to the Green Bay Packers practice squad and has taken a step closer to realising his dream of playing in the NFL.

The 23-year-old offensive lineman was released by the Bills earlier this year, but his hard work was recognised by the team from Wisconsin.

Born and raised in Pretoria, De Beer attended the University of Arizona. where he thrived at discus. American football was not part of the initial plan, but he excelled at the sport once he was exposed to it.

He is unlikely to play for the Packers this year, but will rather be hoping to impress on the training ground in an effort to secure a deal with the franchise, moving into 2019.

The most famous South African to have played in the NFL is Gary Anderson, who played in the NFL for over 20 seasons as a placekicker between 1982 and 2004.

Photo: Rick Scuteri/AP