The Kansas City Chiefs signed Louis Rees-Zammit as a potential breakout player in their system, utilizing many skills that made him a famous rugby star.
As part of the rookie group already working at the Chiefs’ training camp, Rees-Zammit gave reporters an update on Thursday about his adjustment to the NFL and traits he learned from rugby.
“It’s just learning all the plays that are so different from what I’m used to. Obviously, in rugby, you don’t have to learn as much. But I think physically, I think I’m in good shape. I think rugby really prepared me for this with the condition, and it’s been in physical shape.” said Rees-Zammit. “I think the biggest difference is just mental, just staying on top of things, staying on top of the playbook, and making no mistakes.”
Rees-Zammit has already garnered attention on social media following the Chiefs posting highlights of him working with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He stood out in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, which led to his eventual signing with Kansas City.
“Yeah, so with the international player pathway, we’ve been there for about two months, with pads and helmets. So I was just trying to get used to it, to be honest. Obviously, never training with pads and a helmet is quite unusual.” said Rees-Zammit. “But that really prepped me to be able to come in here and kind of get the ball rolling straight away, not having to get used to, you know, the pads and the helmet. So, yeah, I was pretty prepared for that.”
St. Joe debut for Rees-Lightning ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/uApTRj8PVL
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 17, 2024
The rookies continue to find their footing in the early stages of training camp, and things are expected to intensify once the veterans are in the mix. Many will be watching Rees-Zammit as a potential special teams standout as he continues to learn the game.