When USA MNT Coach John Mitchell gave the jerseys out to the USA U20s on Feb. 12, he had a few words of encouragement and praise for the team, and one thing stuck in a few heads:

Statistics show that 10% of the current U20 team will go on to play in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Center Lorenzo Thomas’s ears perked up at that.

“That gave me the chills when he said that,” said Thomas, who went on to score the USA U20s’ only try in a 19-18 victory. “After the game, coach JD [Stephenson] told me that I was being called up to train with the Eagles. I felt so blessed, and thanked God for the opportunity.”

Fresh out of the Union HS program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and now playing for Stephenson at Lindenwood, Thomas had to feel that his rise to a full Eagles training camp was pretty meteoric. Well, strap in that seat belt, because by Thursday he knew he was in the starting lineup, and by Saturday night he’d scored a brilliant try, set up another with a surging run and pass, and almost set up another with a superb diving pass that was adjudged barely forward.

He is still 19 years old, but looked the part on the field against Chile, and became the youngest-ever USA player to score a try for his country.

“I’ve just been working on the mental side of my game. Not stressing so much and just having fun,” Thomas told Goff Rugby Report. “I’ve been working on being aggressive on defense, and using a lot of communication.”

Thomas is back at school at Lindenwood, and he’s got a big game coming up for his Lions, but there’s still a chance he’ll be asked back to face Uruguay on March 5 if there's another injury. 

Maybe then, we’ll be the one getting chills.