Another Kiwi connection in the NFL

There will be another Kiwi connection in the new NFL season after Rhett Ellison, son of former NZ-born NFL star Riki Ellison was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of this year's draft.

The selection came as a major shock for Ellison who didn’t expect to be picked.

"They asked me if I was watching TV," Ellison told reporters. "I was out on the river at that point trying to relax. I said, 'No, I'm not watching it.'

"They said, 'Well, you're about to be a Minnesota Viking.' I was crying pretty hard, so I don't know if they understood anything that I was saying."

Rhett will be following in the footsteps of his famous dad Riki.

Christchurch-born Riki, who is also related to Tamati Ellison and Jacob Ellison, was the first Kiwi and Maori to play in the NFL.

He won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers before playing out his career with the now-extinct LA Raiders.