GOOD NEWS:Can’t believe it’s happening,’ says Louis Rees Zammit of his new NFL role…
Louis Rees-Zammit, a former standout player for Wales, is reportedly planning to try his luck in the NFL as a hybrid running back/wide receiver.
Rees-Zammit shocked rugby fans on Tuesday by announcing his retirement from the game to follow his American ambition, just minutes before Warren Gatland revealed his Six Nations selection.
In addition to increasing the NFL’s appeal internationally, the International Player Pathway Programme (IPPP) aims to make its player base more global by providing players from countries other than the USA and Canada with an opportunity to succeed in the major leagues. With our daily email, you can have the most recent rugby news sent right to your inbox for free.
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“I’m ready to work hard for 10 weeks and, fingers crossed, we can see what happens when I come out the other end,” he said.
“I’m ready for the intensity and difficulty that this task will entail, and I’m committed to seeing this through to completion and realising this dream.”
“My primary skill in rugby was speed, which is very transferable. I like to think that I have steady hands and don’t make many mistakes.
“However, I realise it will need some effort since this is a different kind of ball sports and it moves quickly. I have a lot of footwork talents, and in American football, footwork is crucial.”
on the ground
Rees-Zammit, 22, and fellow rugby player and former star of the Northampton Saints Harry Mallinder are two of the 16 players listed in the programme this year; you can learn more about them both here.
Last night, the NFL’s official ‘X’ account, which has 34.6 million followers, shared the list of potential players in their 2019 IPPP intake, along with the positions that each player is fighting for.
Alongside Rees-Zammit’s name is the hybrid position of wide receiver and running back. With his fast speed and ability to beat defenders to the ball and grab it, the wide receiver position seems like a perfect match, but he also wants to try his hand at running back.
“I’d be thrilled to give back kicks,” Rees-Zammit said. “I really like doing it in rugby. When it comes to a position in rugby, I always want the ball. That would thus be anywhere on the offensive line, either as a receiver, running back, or a hybrid. I’ll follow instructions no matter what.
“This couldn’t have come at a better time for me, especially as I’m pretty much the same age as players coming out of college so I have time to learn the game and learn those skills.”
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Running backs usually have a low centre of gravity and are shorter in order to get past defenders and grab first down. Naturally, Rees-Zammit, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, is more used to crossing the gain line in rugby, often in wide areas on the wing or when he has more time to retrieve the ball in the number 15 shirt.
One player that plays such a hybrid position in the NFL right now is Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers. Samuel is also taller than six feet.
This is an audacious move on the part of the Welshman, but we have seen that he is a highly focused and self-assured individual when wearing the Gloucester or Wales rugby shirts.
Despite his father’s experience playing American football with the Cardiff Bay Tigers, the Cardiff product acknowledges he still has a lot of learning ahead of him.
“I still can’t believe this is happening,” he said. “I feel like a tiny child right now. I’m overjoyed that this day has arrived even though I never imagined it would.
“It would be very challenging for me at first since I have never played the game. I will be spending a lot of time watching plays and films. That will be the most difficult task.
There will be a wide range of abilities required, but I can also become better at what I currently know. I would benefit more from learning the game quickly as I will be able to demonstrate my skills to everyone.”
He takes a plane to Florida today to join the other fifteen members of the IPPP for a training camp before they test out on Sunday, March 3, at Lucas Oli Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, in front of NFL scouts.
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“I’m ready to work hard for 10 weeks and, fingers crossed, we can see what happens when I come out the other end,” he said.
“I’m ready for the intensity and difficulty that this task will entail, and I’m committed to seeing this through to completion and realising this dream.”
“My primary skill in rugby was speed, which is very transferable. I like to think that I have steady hands and don’t make many mistakes.
“However, I realise it will need some effort since this is a different kind of ball sports and it moves quickly. I have a lot of footwork talents, and in American football, footwork is crucial.”
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