Louis Rees-Zammit stunned rugby fans when he announced in January that he was leaving his Wales team to pursue a dream of playing in the NFL. The talented 23-year-old, one of the best wingers in rugby, now was the center of attention on a football field instead of a pitch.
TAMPA, Fla. — Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit was dripping sweat and still catching his breath after finishing up receiving drills when several NFL scouts approached him at the University of South Florida’s pro day.Rees-Zammit politely answered every question before heading off to take a few more from reporters.
Rees-Zammit, whose favorite NFL player growing up was three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson, is one of 16 athletes from eight countries participating in the NFL International Player Pathway program. It was established in 2017 to provide elite athletes from around the world the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster and increase the number of international players in the league.
All eyes were on Rees-Zammit when he lined up to run the 40-yard dash. Everyone wanted to see how fast “Rees-Lightning” could run under the pressure of stopwatches but he only clocked a 4.5 on his first try. He improved to an official time of 4.43 on his second run. “I’m pretty happy with how I ran my routes, just about how fluid I could be, how I could show off my change of direction, how I can get in and out of breaks,” he said. “I think there are a lot of transferable skills. In rugby, you’re always trying to get your hands on the ball as much as often and you’re always trying to break defenses, look for spaces, be aware.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wales will get its first Black leader after Vaughan Gething wins Welsh Labour Party contestOnce Gething is in post, three of the U.K.’s four governments will have non-white leaders and for the first time there are no white male heads of government in the U.K.
Read more »
Thundercon guest announcedJed Rees has starred in Galaxy Quest, Pretty Little Liars and Deadpool -- to name a few.
Read more »
Welsh Leader’s Rise Leaves No UK Government Led by a White ManVaughan Gething’s ascension to become first minister of Wales this week will mark a milestone in British history: For the first time, none of the UK’s four main governments will be led by a White man.
Read more »
Ford looking forward to returning to Blue Bombers following NFL tryoutTyrell Ford can see coaching in his football future but is gladly hanging up his whistle for the next little while.
Read more »
Ford looking forward to returning to Blue Bombers following NFL tryoutTyrell Ford can see coaching in his football future but is gladly hanging up his whistle for the next little while.
Read more »
Ford looking forward to returning to Blue Bombers following NFL tryoutTyrell Ford can see coaching in his football future but is gladly hanging up his whistle for the next little while.
Read more »