USA and former Wisconsin-Whitewater All American Ben Landry will play for the Barbarians Thursday in a clash with Brazil in Sao Paulo.

Landry, who grew up in Pewaukee, Wisc., where he played No. 8 on his high school rugby team. He was also a standout football play and a teammate and friend of NFL star JJ Watt. Landry made the HS All Americans and the USA U20s as he moved on to Wisconsin-Whitewater. He has played all over, interrupting a stint with the Seattle Saracens to try out for the Seattle Seahawks as a tight end. He moved on to the Glendale Raptors (now Colorado Raptors) and then played with the Ealing Trailfinders last season in England's Rugby Championship league.

This past year with the Eagles he has been one of the team's best forwards, playing hard-nosed defense, and making big players, including a stirring try against Canada where the bandage around his head was ripped off as he score.

"I started pretty young, in middle school," Landry said in an earlier interview. "My dad and my uncle both played rugby for a long time in Milwaukee. My mom was a bit uncomfortable [with me playing] in the beginning because I was playing up an age. In 7th and 8th grade I was playing with high schoolers. But once I got a little older, a little stronger she started enjoying watching me."

Landry was actually a flyhalf and wing in middle school because he was smaller than the high schoolers. In high school he was a No. 8 and in college he played lock and center.

"Playing at Whitewater was an awesome experience," Landry said. "It's a huge rugby powerhouse and a lot of guys take it really seriously there. We had to get by with what we had, but everyone played for the love of the game."

Getting a nod from the Barbarians is fair recognition for what has been an excellent 18-month stint from the lock. 

Barbarians squad to face Brazil:

15 David Havili, 14 Bautista Ezcurra, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Billy Meakes, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Santiago Iglesias, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Josh Strauss, 7 Peter Samu, 6 Angus Cottrell, 5 Luke Jones, 4 Tyler Ardron (c), 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2 Andrew Makalio, 1 Campese Maafu.

Subs: 16 Tendai Mtawarira, 17 Rory Best, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Ben Landry, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Joe Powell, 22 Mathieu Bastareaud, 23 Dillyn Leyds.