“Rees-Lightning has arrived,” the team wrote on its X account, followed by a lightning bolt emoji. “Help us officially welcome @LouisReesZammit to Chiefs Kingdom!”
In another post, Rees-Zammit shared how excited he was to be joining the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs. “Hi Chiefs Kingdom, Louis Rees-Zammit here. Just signed, can’t wait to go! See you all at Arrowhead,” the 23-year-old said.
Additionally, after being labelled as a wide receiver/running back hybrid, Kansas City officially announced that Rees-Zammit would be a running back for the team.
Rees-Zammit’s decision to play in the National Football League (NFL) had always been something that remained on his mind, regardless of where he played. Speaking with the Associated Press, the young star explained why he elected to pursue a career in the NFL instead of remaining in European rugby.
“It’s always been on my mind,” the 23-year-old said, per AP. “My dad has been a massive role model to me because he brought me up loving the sport. He played the sport when he was younger so it’s quite easy to love the game because I’ve been watching it from such a young age. So, it’s always been in the back of my head, but it’s just amazing to finally do it now.”
Rees-Zammit also shared how his favorite player is legendary NFL wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who played for Andy Reid, the Chiefs’ head coach, for five seasons in Philadelphia with the Eagles.
What certainly helped Rees-Zammit’s chances with the Chiefs was his impressive showing at the International Player Pathway Pro Day. The IPP is designed to help international players secure a roster spot on one of the NFL’s 32 teams via a 10-week training course.
In the 40-yard dash, Rees-Zammit had official times of 4.50 seconds and 4.44 seconds, which he claimed were disappointing numbers after recording a time of 4.3 and 4.2 seconds before the event. However, those times were comparable to established NFL stars Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, who ran 4.48 during their showings.
Rees-Zammit’s time was also better than star running back Derrick Henry, who posted a time of 4.54 seconds. That said, the 23-year-old’s time pales in comparison to one of the fastest players in the NFL, Tyreek Hill, who had a time of 4.29 seconds at his Pro Day.
The Welshman’s leaping ability was also impressive, which was recorded to be 29 inches. Compared to the aforementioned players, Rees-Zammit has a ways to go, with Henry topping out at 37 inches, McCaffrey slightly ahead at 37.5, Samuel sitting at 39 inches and Hill blowing the competition out of the water with a 40.5-inch vertical jump.
With Rees-Zammit now officially joining the Chiefs, the hard part begins, if former Buffalo Bills running back and current Racing 92 winger Christian Wade is to be believed. In particular, Wade explained how the former rugby star will have to fight for his spot, especially with so many men fighting for one for 53 spots on the team.
“You do have to go to a dark place,” Wade told InstantCasino.com in January. “It is not about going to a dark place once, it is for months and years. The pathway programme will be tough but that is the easy part. Once you get picked up by a team, or if you get picked up, then that is when the hard work starts and gets harder and harder.”
