‘I achieved everything I wanted’… Kansas City Chiefs signing explains decision

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The Kansas City Chiefs are excited about all their upcoming rookies and have one of the most unique candidates in Louis-Rees Zammit.

Rees-Zammit bravely decided to drop all his success in rugby union and make the venture across the Atlantic Ocean for a shot at making it in the NFL.

Moreover, the Welshman was the youngest ever squad call-up for the British and Irish Lions rugby team since 1959 at age 20 years and 93 days.

Rees-Zammit follows in the footsteps of former rugby star Jordan Mailata in the IPP

The 23-year-old decided to join the International Players Pathway (IPP) designed for internationals like Rees-Zammit to pursue his dream of being an NFL star.

One of the biggest success stories coming out of the IPP is Jordan Mailata who was also a rugby star in Australia.

He is one of the league’s highest-paid offensive tackles after being picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018.

Rees-Zammit will be using his story as inspiration as it shows that the dream of being a top player is possible after making the rugby transition.

Rees-Zammit credits his father with the inspiration to join the NFL

Furthermore, the unique prospect spoke to the media during the recent rookie minicamp in which he participated.

He spoke about his father being an instrumental figure: “My dad was a big NFL fan growing up, he wanted to play the sport. He played American football back in the UK.

“My dad’s a massive mentor for me and a role model, it was just a matter of when I was going to do it (pursue the NFL dream) and I achieved everything I wanted to in rugby.”

The now-NFL prospect credits his father with the inspiration for helping him pursue his dream and making him a fan of the sport.

The former rugby star faces a challenge to make the Chiefs 2024 roster

Rees-Zammit will have a tough journey ahead on the road to making the official Chiefs 2024 season 53-man squad.

Initially, he has been labeled as a running back/wide receiver/ special teams returner hybrid talent.

The rookie has reached speeds of up to 24.2 mph when playing rugby, yet this is without the heavy padding.

With new kickoff rules in the NFL, which encourage teams to return kickoffs, Rees-Zammit’s raw speed could be a deadly weapon there.

Travis Kelce did warn the rookie that this will be a ‘humbling experience’ but has full confidence he is in the perfect environment to thrive.