Missouri’s Saint Joseph Louis Rees-Zammit, who was grinning last month, expressed how excited he wanted to receive his first full-contact hit as an NFL player. Rees-Zammit, the former rugby player from Wales who signed a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in March, was aware that his first session in full pads during training camp was coming up in a few days.
“I can’t wait to see the difference,” Rees-Zammit said.
The Chiefs’ third consecutive padded session on July 28 marked his real “welcome to the NFL” moment, as the intensity level shocked him. Every NFL running back has had to suffer a one-on-one drill like Rees-Zammit is that day: a blitzing linebacker or safety charging into the backfield, with the running back’s only task being to keep the defender from getting to the quarterback.
Linebacker Cole Christiansen, who, like Rees-Zammit, is vying for one of the remaining slots on the Chiefs’ original 53-man roster, was on the field opposite Rees-Zammit. Christiansen assaulted the pocket from the B gap while quarterback Patrick Mahomes held the ball. Rees-Zammit lost leverage at impact and realized how much he may lose a pass-blocking rep. Christiansen disregarded Rees-Zammit is ruling.
“It’s very physical,” Rees-Zammit said after Wednesday’s practice. “I’ve had to learn to adapt and lower my body height. In rugby, that’s not too much of a big deal. The blows you take here are pretty big. To be honest with you, it’s a completely different sport.
“I’ve never had to pass protect before. It’s actually illegal in rugby. I have to try to pick it up as quickly as possible. I’m not going to be amazing to start with.”
#Chiefs Louis Rees-Zammit working on pass protection during Sunday's training camp practice pic.twitter.com/BLjhyi0ZLC
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) July 28, 2024
However, representatives such as the one against Christiansen were to be expected. Rees-Zammit, 23, is the newest member of the Chiefs’ 91-man roster. He will play in his first-ever organized football game on Saturday when the Chiefs take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the preseason.
For Rees-Zammit, the goal of Saturday’s game—and training camp, too—is to demonstrate to the Chiefs how quickly he picks things up and gets better with every new football experience.
In a matter of seconds following his most embarrassing moment during camp, Rees-Zammit got back to his two-point stance, wiped the perspiration from his eyes, and stood up. When the subsequent one-on-one rep started, Rees-Zammit performed a better job of containing his teammate’s strength and pushing him away from Mahomes, this time against Christiansen.
“The transition’s been fantastic for him,” Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco said of Rees-Zammit. “Being that player that is a (leader) in the (running backs) room, (I’m) putting in his ear, ‘Just keep working hard, keep finishing.’”
Before August 27, the NFL’s traditional cutdown day, Rees-Zammit will try to do with the Chiefs what he accomplished in rugby: win three exhibition games. Excel exceeded everyone’s expectations in speed.
He became the club’s youngest-ever Premiership player when he signed his first professional deal with Gloucester at the age of 18. Rees-Zammit also had an effect as a rookie. In addition to becoming Gloucester’s youngest European try scorer of the year, he improved at a rate that is uncommon in professional rugby, scoring 12 tries in 15 appearances. Being one of the most rapid wingers in rugby history, his exceptional pace earned him the moniker Rees-Lightning.
Rees-Zammit has confident playing style, good looks, and desire to become an international fame at a young age all drew in fans.
Rees-Zammit assisted his native Wales in winning the Six Nations title in 2021. During the event, he also produced his biggest highlight, a game-winning try that showcased all of his skills, including speed, hand-eye coordination, and audacious creativity. Rees-Zammit realized he had just one defender left to beat as he collected the ball on the field’s edge in the closing minutes of an away game against Scotland. Rees-Zammit was on a fast track, using his right foot to chip the ball over the defender and running past him to catch the ball off its first bounce and score the game-winning goal.
In 32 international appearances for Wales, he scored 14 tries.
Rees-Zammit earned one of the biggest accolades in sports a few months after the Six Nations competition: he was selected for the British & Irish Lions team, which is made up of players from England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. However, he started making plans to switch sports during the 2022 offseason. He would work with veteran performance coach Chip Smith in Atlanta, who has coached over 3,000 professional athletes, with the goal of becoming a competitive NFL player.
“I achieved everything I wanted to in rugby,” Rees-Zammit said in early May. “I’ve always wanted to live in America. This was the perfect time to try to make it in the NFL and live over here.”
The winner of the #GuinnessSixNations Try Of The Championship is… 🥁 Louis Rees-Zammit! 👏 pic.twitter.com/yUR12z8lwE
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) April 5, 2021
Since the program’s inception in 2017, Rees-Zammit is transfer to the NFL has been the league’s greatest achievement for the International Player Pathway, which seeks to increase the number of international players in the league by recruiting athletes from across the globe. In front of scouts from 31 NFL teams, Rees-Zammit completed the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds during his pro day in March.
In an attempt to join a Super Bowl contender, he felt coach Andy Reid could best utilize his abilities in a varied role as a running back, thus he inked a three-year, $2.83 million contract with the Chiefs. The Chiefs are dedicated to giving Rees-Zammit ample opportunity to demonstrate his ability in the NFL, according to general manager Brett Veach. Rees-Zammit may spend a large portion of his rookie campaign honing his craft on the practice squad, even if he had a rough preseason.
“We know he’s got incredible top-end speed,” linebacker Drue Tranquill said of Rees-Zammit. “He’s got to learn in pass pro, how to sit down and how to take on blocks. He’s got to learn the in and outs of the game, but he’s a great athlete and that’ll come with time.”
Rees-Zammit is desire to learn everything he can about the game, the NFL, and how to maximize his potential as a running back has won him the respect of his teammates since he joined the Chiefs.
“Anything I can take from any of these boys that have been playing the sport for a long time is amazing,” Rees-Zammit said. “Isiah has been helping me out massively.”
Pacheco frequently instructs Rees-Zammit methods during practice sessions where students are alone. The Chiefs published a video in which Pacheco gave Rees-Zammit pass-blocking guidance. Pacheco shared the same insights that Jerick McKinnon taught him when he was a rookie two years prior.
"We can both help each other out"
— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) July 31, 2024
Chiefs starting RB Isiah Pacheco coaching up Louis Rees-Zammit is so awesome to see (via @Chiefs) pic.twitter.com/1oMMX08jVr
In order to be better equipped to withstand the brutality of the league, the 6-foot-2 Rees-Zammit put on 16 pounds during the summer and reported to camp weighing 209 pounds. Even though he has been exercising in temperatures higher than he is used to, he has not missed a practice, demonstrating resilience and excellent conditioning. Additionally, several elements have been improved, such as maintaining consistency in his body language and pre-snap stance when lining up to avoid giving the defense away about the impending play.
“The biggest difference is just mental,” he said. “I’m nonstop trying to learn this playbook because as soon as I can play fast, that’s the biggest thing. We don’t finish meetings until 8 (p.m.), so I spend an extra two hours (after) just learning the plays because I’m playing catchup. There’s no time to rest for me. I’ve got to give this my all because ultimately this is my dream.
“The first goal is to make the team. I know special teams are going to be massive for me.”
Rees-Zammit is best and most straightforward path to a roster berth is to succeed as a kickoff returner. By the end of most sessions, Rees-Zammit and receiver Nikko Remigio have emerged as the Chiefs’ top two kickoff returners, according to special teams coordinator Dave Toub.
“We always tell the guys that three or four guys make the team because of their special teams play,” Reid said of Rees-Zammit and Remigio. “Those two would probably fit into that category, but they’ve still got to do well at their position. For them to make the team, they’ve got to help out in that area.”
Rees-Zammit, in Toub’s opinion, might be the ideal athlete to comply with the NFL’s new kickoff regulations.
Louis Rees-Zammit returns a kickoff 👀 pic.twitter.com/VYiD7qrOMW
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 31, 2024
To bring the play back into the present, the NFL changed the kickoff. The kickoff had the lowest return percentage in the 104-year history of the league last season, at just 21.8%. The kickoff in Super Bowl LVIII was not returned. This season, league officials hope to see at least a 30 percent rise in the return rate.
Rees-Zammit is a rugby player, so the Chiefs are hoping that his ball-carrying skills along with his improved vision, acceleration, and elusiveness in camp can help him make an impact on kickoff returns during the preseason.
“We’re trying to get him all the work we can to bring him up to speed,” Toub said of Rees-Zammit. “He’s been great. He’s doing a good job as a returner.”
Rees-Zammit joined the Chiefs for more reasons than just his reputation as a kickoff returner.
He wants to show the Chiefs that he is a capable running back by getting the ball in his hands as much as possible. In addition, he aspires to succeed for his father, Joseph Zammit, who brought him into the NFL. Rees-Zammit saw a lot of NFL games as a child growing up in Penarth, Wales, with his father, who became so enthused about the game that he played running back and receiver in the British American Football Association in 1987 for the Cardiff Tigers.
“I’ve told him about training camp, how tough it’s been,” Rees-Zammit said of his father. “He’s been giving me some tips and tricks on pass protection — getting in close, shooting my hands and dropping my height.”
Stackin' those reps ⚡️ @LouisReesZammit pic.twitter.com/dK3IeHbwfh
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 28, 2024
Rees-Zammit has had a few minor triumphs in the camp. Rees-Zammit had a difficult first padded session with the Chiefs, getting repeatedly hit and tackled behind the line of scrimmage. He ran into tight end Irv Smith Jr.’s back instead of a clear running lane the following day. However, he demonstrated improved vision and patience the next day as he ran through the proper lane on a stretch play, finishing the rep without being touched by a defender.
Rees-Zammit is best performance of the previous week came in a one-on-one drill against linebacker Leo Chenal while playing receiver. Rees-Zammit showed off his quickness by sprinting past Chenal on a fade route close to the sideline, following the long pass, and catching the ball 30 yards downfield. Additionally, Pacheco let out a cheer when Rees-Zammit defeated rookie linebacker Swayze Bozeman in a one-on-one pass protection match.
“I’m incredibly proud of myself and the journey I’ve been on,” Rees-Zammit said.
Rees-Zammit is parents, Joseph and Maxine, will be watching him play in the stands at EverBank Stadium on Saturday, which is one of the finest parts of the game for him.
“Oh, he’s just as excited as I am,” Rees-Zammit said of his father. “It’s going to be amazing, a dream come true to be able to put the uniform on and embrace the moment. I’m going to go out there and focus on my job fully and go for it.”
(Photo: Denny Medley / USA Today)
