18 January 2024 , 20:04
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Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit will have a ten-week NFL camp in Florida to determine if he is cut out to complete his dream of playing in the American football league.
The 22-year-old Wales international shocked the sporting world upon deciding to leave the sport to pursue an NFL career. Rees-Zammit will achieve this dream by participating in the league's International Player Pathway Programme (IPP), a program run by the NFL designed to grow the league globally.
"I think now is the perfect time, with my age and picking up a new sport. It is nothing about rugby. It's an ambition to make my dream come true and play in the National Football League," he said.
Rees-Zammit then detailed that his father used to play football and was a catalyst in his decision to try out for the NFL. To continue his family legacy and make them proud, the rugby star will angle a grueling 10-week process to beat out other hungry competitors with the same ambitions.
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"I fly to Florida on Friday, and then it's a 10-week intensive camp," he explained. "At the end of the ten weeks, I basically find out if I'm good enough and if a team wants me. If so, the season starts in August. So, I'm looking forward to the next ten weeks and making my dreams become a reality."
Due to his decision, his domestic club, Gloucester Rugby, will be left without the star winger for a massive part of the season. Rees-Zammit reflected on his time with Gloucester, detailing how they provided him with his first professional contract.
On the international side, Wales Rugby boss Warren Gatland shared that he has yet to learn if the starting player will play in Ruby Union again upon making his NFL switch. The country will compete in the Guinness Six Nations Championship, which consists of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. They are scheduled to face Scotland on Feb 3 to open the international championship games.
Louis Rees-Zammit has just ten weeks to make an NFL roster (Getty Images)The 22-year-old aspiring NFL prospect possesses elite speed, which he hopes will translate to the league. Standing at 6-foot-3, Rees-Zammit was clocked at reaching a blistering top speed of 24mph in 2021, the third-highest recorded speed on a rugby pitch ever.
To provide a comparison, let's take a look at the highest speeds achieved in the NFL since 2018 in contrast to Rees-Zammit's speed. It's important to note that NFL speed calculations are based on players wearing their full equipment during game day, including helmets and pads, which can weigh them down. The NFL's Next Gen stats record the top speeds achieved by some of the league's fastest players.
- Louis Rees-Zammit, 24 mph [2021]
- Raheem Mostert, 23.09 mph [2020]
- Raheem Mostert, 22.73 mph [2020]
- Matt Breida, 22.3 mph [2019]
- DK Metcalf, 22.23 mph [2023]
- Cordarrelle Patterson, 22.23 mph [2019]
- Jonathan Taylor, 22.13 [2021]
- Parris Campbell, 22.11 mph [2022]
- Kenyan Drake, 22.11 mph [2020]
- Kenneth Walker, 22.09 mph [2022]