By now, so many overseas athletes have come to the United States to take their shot at the National Football League that it no longer feels particularly newsworthy.
Louis Rees-Zammit is an exception.
This week, Rees-Zammit, a 22-year-old winger for Wales’ national rugby team and a genuine star of last year’s Rugby World Cup, created shockwaves in his homeland by announcing he was quitting the sport to join up with the NFL’s International Player Pathway, with immediate effect.
“He was the stardust of the team,” former international standout James Hook, who played for Wales 81 times, told me via telephone on Wednesday. “He is incredibly quick. If you talk to his teammates, they’ll tell you his speed is ridiculous. He’s strong, powerful, very skillful – and a big part of the squad. No one saw this coming.”
Encouraged as part of the NFL’s global push, Australian Rules football athletes, handball and basketball players, sprinters, shot putters and exponents of both forms of rugby have embarked on a new adventure in an attempt to turn their physical attributes into a lucrative new career on the gridiron.
Since this push began, there has been a wide range of outcomes. Some players quickly realized the game was not for them and departed. Several have earned roster spots and practice-squad deals, all the way to the case of tackle Jordan Mailata, who switched from Australia’s National Rugby League to become a Super Bowl runner-up with the Philadelphia Eagles and recipient of a four-year, $64 million contract.
Where Rees-Zammit stands out is because of his age – at 22, he has arguably not yet entered his prime in rugby, yet he is already regarded as one of the most dynamic players in the world. Also it’s because of his standing – those seeking an NFL chance don’t typically walk away from existing stardom in their own game.
“He’s the real deal,” Nick Benson, CEO of Major League Rugby (which has 11 teams across the U.S.), told me. “I saw him play at the World Cup and he is an exceptional talent. Making the NFL is obviously a huge task for anyone, but I can see how teams will look at his physical talents and his skillset and be interested.”
Rees-Zammit will spend 10 weeks in the IPP’s evaluation and training stage while learning the nuances of American football and gaining the chance to impress scouts. Benson thinks his courage under the high ball – inherent in rugby – could initially offer opportunities as a punt and kickoff returner. Hook agreed while suggesting that Rees-Zammit’s speed and physicality could also be suited to running back.
The fact that Rees-Zammit made this choice is a reflection of the NFL’s growing global reach. American football continues to increase in popularity in Europe, and he has watched NFL games on television since childhood and was always fascinated by the possibility of finding out how his abilities would translate.
It is no longer a surprise when athletes make the switch anymore. That said, the suddenness of the decision has thrown the Welsh sporting community for a loop.
Rees-Zammit informed Wales head coach Warren Gatland of his move just an hour before Gatland was due to announce him as a member of the squad for the high-profile annual Six Nations competition against England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy.
“Don’t get why people can’t just be happy that I’m chasing my dreams,” Rees-Zammit posted on Instagram, following some public backlash. “Life moves on … and adds a bit of motivation.”
His choice may also be the product of some current upheaval in British rugby, which is facing a financial reckoning of sorts, with uncertainty surrounding future salary caps.
Full salaries are not disclosed, but Hook estimates Rees-Zammit would be earning comfortably in excess of the $216,000 awarded to NFL practice squad players, though not at the level of the NFL’s minimum wage for a rookie player on a roster, which will be $795,000 in 2024.
“With anything like this you’re going to have some negative comments, but I think most people are going to wish him well,” Hook said. “He is seeing an opportunity to try something new and he’s going for it. We will see how it translates, but he is an elite athlete, no question about that.”
Wales head coach Gatland took the news philosophically and said that if the NFL does not work out, a return to rugby would certainly be a legitimate option for Rees-Zammit.
“We see this as a positive,” MLR’s Benson said. “We are not in competition with the NFL and we hope he comes here and does very well. Of course, it is a shame such a good player is no longer playing rugby, but this is a chance for even more people to see how rugby players are complete athletes, and someone like him is the epitome of that.”
This is an interesting time for American rugby, with the U.S. due to host the Rugby World Cup in 2031. There are significant links between the sport and the NFL, with former Chicago Bears fullback Paul Lasike currently playing in Major League Rugby. Moreover, Nate Ebner, Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots, who was given leave by Bill Belichick to play rugby at the 2016 Olympics, is now co-owner of MLR’s New England Freejacks, along with former Pats teammate Patrick Chung.
If Rees-Zammit manages to convert his rugby brilliance into an NFL spot, the links between the sports would only increase.
