Who is Louis Rees-Zammit, Kansas City Chiefs’ new addition and former rugby player

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KC’s unorthodox signing makes room for another possible offensive weapon for Mahomes.

The Kansas City Chiefs is about to do something that is not very usual in the NFL. A different kind of bet.

On Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s NFL Insider Jordan Schultz broke the news that the former rugby player Louis Rees-Zammit will sign with Kansas City on friday.

According to him, he’s probably going to play running back and wide receiver, but the team should also give him a chance to be part of the kickoffs – especially considering the new rules implemented by the league this week.

The new measure was put to vote in order to reformulate kick-off returns to try to prevent the disheartening touchbacks that have become a frequent occurrence in games.

Rees-Zammit was the highlight of the NFL’s International Pro day. In the 40-yard dash, he crossed the finish line in 4.43 seconds. Currently training at the IMG Academy in Florida, the Welshman is 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds.

Before presenting himself to the NFL, he underwent an intensive 10-week training period. In an interview with BBC Wales’ Scrum V podcast, he talked about his dream of playing in the National Football League and the strange feeling of wearing a helmet.

“I’m absolutely loving training. My pursuit to be in the NFL is alive and I’m excited to see what the next 10 weeks hold. It’s tough to get your head around it [the helmet] a little bit at the start but, as with everything, you get used to it.”

“The vision out of the sides [of the helmet] kind of affects things. But I’m getting used to it now and I’ll see what happens.”

From the time the NFL launched this program, 37 international players have signed with teams and 18 of them are currently in squads – including KC offensive tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick. Of all of them, five players have already been part of active line-ups. Those are: Jordan Mailata, Jakob Johnson, Efe Obada, David Bada and Sammis Reyes.

For this upcoming season, the NFL has added an extra spot to the teams’ practice squads for international players.

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Rees-Zammit’s story until he made it to the NFL

Rees-Zammit is 23 years old and was born in Wales. He is a former rugby union wing and fullback.

The young player played for Gloucester in the English Premiership and for the welsh national team.

He joined Gloucester’s senior team for the 2019-20 season, becoming the club’s youngest Premiership winger at the age of 18. Rees-Zammit also made himself Gloucester’s youngest European player and youngest European try scorer in 2019.

KC’s new reinforcement made 31 appearances for the national team, scoring 14 tries in 2020. If it wasn’t for his desire to play in the NFL, the athlete would be a guaranteed name in the welsh team during the traditional Six Nations tournament, which began on February 2nd.

In the beginning of 2024, Louis Rees-Zammit announced on his official Instagram profile that he was quitting the sport to pursue a career in American Football through the International Player Pathway program.

What the former rugby player can add to KC’s attack

The Chiefs’ new backup is nicknamed ‘Rees-Lightning’ because of his amazing speed. If he fits well in the group, he could be a big help in the backfield alongside Isaiah Pacheco. And perhaps he will be an important part of kick returns.

He’s also known for his good work with the hands. This skillset combined with his speed could make him another target in Patrick Mahomes’ receiving depth chart.

READ MORE: One player in the NFL can compete with Patrick Mahomes and knock off the Chiefs, says Louis Riddick