The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Louis Rees-Zammit. Following his strong performance at his Pro Day, the team revealed on Friday via its official X Twitter that they had reached an agreement with the former rugby union player.
The team posted, Rees-Lightning has come, on their X account, along with an emoji of a lightning bolt. Assist in giving @LouisReesZammit a formal welcome to Chiefs Kingdom!
Rees-Zammit expressed his excitement at joining the Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl winners, in a different post. Hello, Chiefs Kingdom. This is Louis Rees-Zammit. I’ve signed and am eager to go! At Arrowhead, see you all, the 23-year-old stated.
Furthermore, Kansas City formally declared that Rees-Zammit would be a running back for the team, despite the fact that he had previously been classified as a hybrid wide receiver/running back.
Regardless of where he played, Rees-Zammit’s choice to play in the National Football League has never left his thoughts. In an interview with the Associated Press, the rising star gave his reasons for leaving European rugby to pursue a career in the NFL.
The 23-year-old stated, “It’s always been on my mind, Since he instilled in me a deep love for the game, my dad has served as a tremendous role model for me.
Since I’ve been watching the game since I was a small child, it’s easy for me to adore it because he played it when he was younger. Though it’s always been on the back of my mind, it’s incredible that I’m now getting around to it.
Rees-Zammit also revealed that his all-time favorite player is the late wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who spent five seasons in Philadelphia with the Eagles under head coach Andy Reid of the Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit’s strong performance at the International Player Pathway Pro Day undoubtedly improved his prospects of signing with the Chiefs. Through a 10-week training program, the IPP aims to assist international players in securing a roster spot on one of the 32 NFL teams.
Rees-Zammit recorded official times of 4.50 and 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard sprint, which he considered disappointing given that he had previously recorded times of 4.3 and 4.2 seconds. Nevertheless, such times were similar to those of well-known NFL players Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, who ran 4.48 in their performances.
With a time of 4.54 seconds, top running back Derrick Henry was likewise slower than Rees-Zammit. However, Tyreek Hill, one of the NFL’s fastest players, ran a 4.29-second time on his Pro Day, so the 23-year-old’s time is nothing.
The Welshman’s measured leap of 29 inches was another remarkable feat. Rees-Zammit still has a ways to go in comparison to the guys named above, as Henry tops out at 37 inches, McCaffrey comes in slightly ahead at 37.5, Samuel is seated at 39 inches, and Hill absolutely destroys the competition with a 40.5-inch vertical leap.
The hard part starts now that Rees-Zammit has officially joined the Chiefs, if Christian Wade, a former running back for the Buffalo Bills and current Racing 92 winger, is to be believed.
Wade went into detail about how the former rugby star will have to compete for his seat, particularly with so many men vying for the 53 available spots on the team.
Wade admitted to Instant Casino in January that you do have to go to a dark place. It involves being in a gloomy area for months or years—not just once.
The pathway program is going to be difficult, but that’s the simple part. The harder and harder the work gets, the sooner you are selected by a team, or if you are selected at all.
