Louis Rees-Zammit showed off his pace at the International Player Pathway Pro Day as he looks to break into the NFL.
Back in January, former Wales and Gloucester winger Rees-Zammit sensationally revealed he is turning his back on rugby with immediate effect to enter the NFL’s IPP program. The IPP aims to help premier athletes earn a spot on one of the 32 rosters and increase the number of international players in the NFL via an intense 10-week training programme.
Blessed with remarkable speed, Rees-Zammit developed into one of the most exciting wingers in the game, appearing for the British and Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa. Rees-Zammit scored five tries at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France as The Dragons reached the quarter-finals.
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But the 23-year-old is eyeing a new challenge. On his journey from international rugby union to the NFL, Rees-Zammit faced a hugely anticipated moment on Wednesday as the IPP stars showcased their ability for NFL scouts at a Pro Day held at the University of South Florida.
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NFL Pro Days work in a similar fashion to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, when those players hoping to be drafted by one of the franchises are put through a series of drills to measure their explosiveness, athleticism, strength and skill. So how does Rees-Zammit stack up against NFL stars like Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill and Derrick Henry?
In the 40-yard dash, Rees-Zammit clocked times of 4.50 seconds and 4.44 seconds, which he later referred to as ‘disappointing’ after reportedly running in the 4.2s and 4.3s before the event. San Francisco 49ers duo Samuel and McCaffrey, who perform as dual-threats in both the passing and run games like Rees-Zammit is aiming to do, ran 4.48s at their combines.
Meanwhile, the powerful Henry posted a time of 4.54s while the electric Hill was timed at 4.29s at his own Pro Day. Texas receiver Xavier Worthy set the NFL Scouting Combine record with a 4.21 40-yard dash last month.
Rees-Zammit hopes to be deployed in a similar way the San Francisco 49ers use Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey (Getty Images)Rees-Zammit impressed with a 29-inch vertical jump, but it pales in comparison to some of his rivals. Samuel managed to go 10 inches higher (39), just ahead of Henry (37) and McCaffrey (37.5) - but Hill topped out at 40.5 inches. The record for the vertical is 46 inches, set by former safety Gerald Sensabaugh.
In the broad jump, Rees-Zammit posted 9ft 7in but appeared frustrated with his performance which makes sense, as Henry - who weighed 18kg more than the Welshman - posted 10ft 10in. McCaffrey (10’ 1’’), Samuel (10’ 2’’) and Hill (10’ 9’’) all posted better scores than Rees-Zammit, too.
Rees-Zammit, who scored 14 tries in 32 Wales appearances, joined the IPP Class of 2024 for 10 weeks of training in the United States at IMG Academy ahead of the Pro Day. After training camp, the group of 16 IPP athletes will be eligible to fill a 17th practice squad roster spot across any of the 32 NFL franchises following the rule change to add an additional spot for an international player ahead of the 2024 season.
While he may not have posted eye-popping numbers, Rees-Zammit impressed scouts with his footwork in position specific drills. He will hope to join the likes of Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia Eagles) and Efe Obada (Washington Commanders) in making the leap from the IPP to the NFL.
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