The Welshman is set to make his first appearance for the Super Bowl champions in the coming weeks
After a whirlwind six months, former Wales star Louis Re
es-Zammit is determined to realise his NFL dream and make it on to the Kansas City Chief's active roster ahead of the new season.
The ex-Gloucester man, who sensationally quit rugby on the eve of this year's Six Nations, has taken American football by storm after graduating from the NFL's International Player Pathway programme and signing for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Now mixing it with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Rees-Zammit is now doing all he can to impress during the Chiefs' training camp in hope of making it on to the 53-man roster.
He is set to make his first appearance for the team next month, during their run of pre-season fixtures. But with the 23-year-old still yet to take part in a full padded practice, he knows he still has plenty of work to do if he is going to play an active role for the Chiefs this season.
Of course, Rees-Zammit has been playing catch-up to nearly all of his new teammates, who have played the sport for the majority of their live.s With an extensive playbook to learn, the Welshman has had his work cut out but he revealed in a new interview he is sacrificing his free time and is instead putting in the extra hours to stay on course.
Asked what the biggest learning curve has been as he addressed the media at the Chiefs' training camp on Thursday, he said: "I think it's just learning all the plays. It's so different from what I'm used to. Obviously, in rugby, you don't have to learn as much, but I think physically, I'm in good shape.
"I think rugby really prepared me for this, with the conditioning and being in good physical shape. The biggest difference is just mental, staying on top of things, staying on top of the playbook and making no mistakes.
He added: "I'm non-stop trying to learn this playbook, because as soon as I can stop thinking and can just play fast, that's the biggest thing for me. We don’t finish meetings until 8pm and I probably go to bed at 10pm, so an extra two hours just learning the plays.
"I'm playing catch up with a lot of people who have played American football since they were little kids. There's no time to rest for me. I have to give this my all because ultimately, this is my dream. To make it come true, I have to be a step ahead of a lot of people."
Rees-Zammit credited his coaches with helping him to learn the extensive list of plays and revealed that he has been well supported by his new teammates. He added: "The likes of Pat [Mahomes], Carson [Wentz], Ian [Book] and Chris [Oladokun], everyone’s so helpful. I'm a new guy coming in and not really knowing much about the playbook, [but they are] allowing me to learn, giving me time but at the same time pushing me as hard as I can because I need to try and learn this quickly!"
While he is used to brutal hits from his rugby days, Rees-Zammit is relishing the experience of playing in full pads, saying it will be "fun" to see how it compares to the sport he played back home.
"Oh, I'm excited! I can't wait to see the difference," he said. "I get that question all the time. What's harder-hitting, rugby or American football? We'll soon find out.
"It's going to be fun. I've played a contact sport since I was 12 years old. That's bone-on-bone, but we'll see what it's like when we come to pads."
The Welshman also teased about the "key" role he could play when he finally takes to the field in Chiefs colours, with a pre-season bow on the cards against either the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Detroit Lions or the Chicago Bears. While he didn't give any plays away to the assembled media, he couldn't help but smile as he promised he and his teammates were going to have "fun" out on the field.
Asked about the prospect of a first practice game, he said; "It’s going to be exciting. I’ve played in front of big crowds, so I don’t think the occasion is going to get to me, but obviously it’s going to be a proud day for myself and my family if I get on the field.
"Then, it’s just about showing what I can do , every time I get the ball in my hands, being able to be a difference maker and just being able to help the team as much as I can. I’m very excited for that day."
Rees-Zammit added: "This kickoff rule is new, so no one knows what's going to come. We do have some creative plays, and I'm not going to mention them now, but hopefully you'll see them in the preseason games. Coach [Dave] Toub and Coach [Andy] Hill are very creative people, so I'm just giving it my all on the field and trying to be the best player and person possible for the team. It’s going to be fun.
"The first goal is to make the team," he continued. I know special teams is going to be massive for me, I've been working really hard on that. Learning the running back roles, being able to learn pass-protection and then learning my routes off that, I think all of it adds up and the main way I'm going to make this team is by learning pass-protection and be able to be a key role on special teams."
For now, though, the 23-year-old is living his childhood dream and is "loving" his new life in America. While he arrived in the States as an unknown to most NFL fans, he revealed that he has been approached by fans on the street as his stock continues to rise on the other side of the Atlantic.
"This was my dream since I was a little boy, to play in the NFL, and to join a team like this is incredible," he said. "I'm incredibly proud of myself and the journey I've been on. Missouri, Kansas City, I’m loving living there, it’s a great place.
"When you go outside, you get fans coming up to you and it’s always great to be able to be noticed. I want to play a part in this team and the way I’m going to do that is through training camps, show the capabilities I can do and see what the coaches think of me."
