Louis Rees-Zammit's dreams of becoming an NFL star moved closer top reality on Wednesday - as he showed his skills at the International Player Pathway (IPP) Pro Day.
The former rugby union star's performance even led to invites from the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. He has more meetings with teams to follow, with scouts intrigued by his speed and elusiveness that saw him win 31 caps and score 14 tries before tearing up his contract with Gloucester and taking a giant leap of faith into the unknown.
The 23-year-old is one of 16 prospects from across the world who jetted out to Florida in January and underwent a 10-week crash course at the revered IMG Academy high school campus leading into Wednesday's Pro Day. Rees-Zammit finished his workout with a sense of disappointment that he did not quite show his best stuff.
But each member of the IPP - including fellow Brits George Smith, Travis Clayton, Harry Mallinder and Praise Olatoke - has reason to believe that their dreams can be realised. The NFL has introduced an additional 17th practice squad spot for each team specifically for international players in the hope of giving these supremely gifted athletes a better chance to develop their fundamentals on the gridiron.
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To get the lowdown on what happened at the University of South Florida for the IPP Pro Day, Mirror Sport spoke to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, who was on the ground and chatted to the prospects and the NFL scouts in attendance.
What was the reaction to Louis Rees-Zammit's pro day performance from the scouts and reporters in attendance?
"There was a lot of interest in LRZ because he’s young, fast and talented. I noticed more scouts speaking to him than any of the other players. Considering his nickname - 'Rees-Lightning' - there was disappointment over his 40-yard dash time but that happens sometimes.
"His receiving ability impressed me. He can catch the football. He’s going to have to continue to learn route-running techniques. He has a chance to make it as a returner and could perhaps play running back, which is more comfortable for him at this point. However, he’d have to learn blocking assignments and other aspects of the RB position beyond carrying the football."
Rees-Zammit shocked the world of rugby when he announced he was trying to make it in the NFL (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)How did Rees-Zammit feel about his performance?
"He told me he was disappointed in his 40. He clocked in the 4.4s on his second run. He said he’s run the 40 in the 4.2s and 4.3s range."
Did any of the other IPP prospects catch your attention? Did anyone have any standout moments?
"Praise Olatoke - a Scottish-Nigerian prospect - was really fast. I didn’t get his 40 time [the NFL later announced he ran 4.36s], but he was impressive. He stood out to me. Each of the players showed they were special athletes."
You have been to numerous pro days and seen many NFL players over the years. How did the IPP players stack up in terms of fundamentals as well as athleticism? Do you think they can make the step up?
"They’ve got raw ability and incredible athleticism. They need to catch up on fundamentals and understanding of the game. The NFL is an intricate sport. There’s a ton of complexities. Learning the nuances of the game is a major transition and that’s why a major part of the focus during this program is the classroom part of football."
Were representatives of all 32 teams in attendance to your knowledge?
"There were 51 scouts from 31 teams. No LA Rams."
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