Clayton had first tried out American football in 2019, spending time with the newly started NFL Academy in London, although he left the program soon after.[5] Four years later, he decided to give the sport another shot.[5] He rejoined the academy and after success there, was chosen in January 2024 as one of 16 participants in the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), designed to give international players more opportunities to play in the league.[6][7]
Clayton spent ten weeks learning the sport while training at IMG Academy.[4][10] He received praise for his pro day performance, measuring at 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) and 301 pounds (137 kg; 21.5 st) with a 7-foot (2.1 m) wingspan, while running the 40-yard dash in 4.81 seconds.[11][5] His 40-yard dash time was better than any offensive lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine.[5] He was invited to tryout with several teams and received comparisons to Jordan Mailata, an Australian rugby league player who became a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles.[4][5] Unlike other IPPP participants such as Louis Rees-Zammit, Clayton was eligible for the 2024 NFL draft due to being within four years of having graduated high school.[12] Although never having played in a game of American football before, he was chosen in the seventh round of the draft – 221st overall – by the Buffalo Bills, becoming the second-ever IPPP participant to be drafted after Mailata.[11][12] He was placed on injured reserve on August 27, 2024.[13]
