Speedy Welsh rugby star and fan favorite Louis Rees-Zammit has made an extraordinary crossover into American football, signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. The team announced Friday.
The 23-year-old Welshman announced in January that he was leaving the sport and his home country to pursue long-term dreams of playing in the NFL, much to the dismay of die-hard British rugby fans.
And it appears his efforts are paying off, as the 6-foot-3, 212-pound star known for his blistering speed has signed with the Chiefs, the most recent Super Bowl champions.
Rees-Zammit's path across the pond began with the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP). The IPPP is an initiative of the NFL aimed at expanding the league's roster beyond North America and attracting talent from around the world. In January, he flew to Florida for 10 weeks of intensive training leading up to the March Showcase, the day before NFL club scouting.
Rees-Zammit said it was a daunting task to change the sport and the country, but it had to be done.
“The chances of success are definitely narrow,” he told NBC News in January. “Boys in America play sports from the age of 5, go on to high school and college, and are introduced to sports at a very young age.”
“For me, when I turn 22, I have to learn the game. Obviously, I'm at a disadvantage,” he said, a few weeks before his 23rd birthday on Feb. 3.
Starr said, “I realized the reality that if I don't do it now, I'll probably regret it for the rest of my life.”
It's a huge feat for Rees-Zammit, one of the world's top young rugby stars, as successful crossovers with rugby are extremely rare. Perhaps the most notable success before this was Jordan Mailata, who left Australian rugby to join the Philadelphia Eagles as an offensive tackle.
During his rugby career, Rees-Zammit, often jokingly referred to by his fans as 'Rees Lightning', played for Wales, English club team Gloucester and international super team British. He also played as a winger for the Irish Lions.
