An American Dream Dashed: Why Louis Rees-zammit Called Time On Nfl Adventure

“When you’re ace talented and person options, you do what is champion for you,” is really erstwhile New York Giants cornerback Jason Bell explains Louis Rees-Zammit’s unexpected return to rugby national from nan NFL.

Less than a week aft Rees-Zammit’s abrupt announcement that he is leaving Jacksonville Jaguars connected nan eve of nan 2025 season, nan Wales coach, Steve Tandy, each but named him successful his first squad for nan forthcoming Autumn Nations games against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, describing his impending return arsenic “a awesome boost to nan game, to fans and to coaches”.

The first mentation for nan premature extremity of Rees-Zammit’s American dream past week was that it was down to a operation of bad luck, wounded and nan sacking of nan Jaguars’ coaching unit who recruited him from Kansas City Chiefs during nan adjacent season. Just a fewer months agone he appeared wished to enactment successful nan NFL for astatine slightest 1 much year. “I didn’t time off rugby conscionable to effort it for a year, group would beryllium beautiful dumb to deliberation that I’d time off consecutive away,” he said successful February.

Rees-Zammit had made capable advancement successful Jacksonville to make their 90-strong training squad but nan backmost wounded sustained past month, which reduced his chances of making their 53-man progressive roster for nan coming season, prompted a abrupt reassessment. With caput coach Doug Pedersen and his assistants having been dismissed successful April, thing other appears to person changed successful nan interim.

As Bell implies, Rees-Zammit’s options person been expanding elsewhere. In summation to nan imaginable of nan remainder of Wales pursuing Tandy’s lead by greeting him arsenic a prodigal son, nan 24-year-old is understood to person been approached to subordinate R360, nan proposed rebel league whose backers person reportedly signed pre-contract agreements pinch 160 players successful anticipation of a planned motorboat adjacent year.

While money has ne'er been Rees-Zammit’s main information – he has walked retired connected a £712,000 minimum net astatine Jacksonville – nan imaginable of earning up to £1m for a 12-game play successful 12 months’ clip would person understandable appeal.

Louis Rees-Zammit has velocity and athleticism, but that isn’t capable to guidelines retired successful nan world of nan NFL. Photograph: Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images/Reuters

“Professional athletics gives you a very short window,” says Bell, who watched Rees-Zammit intimately successful training this summertime preparing for his domiciled arsenic an expert connected Sky Sports. “You’re ever fighting Father Time.

“Louis should beryllium very proud of himself. In nan NFL we observe players who tin play 2 different positions. The truth he moreover attempted to play a wholly different athletics astatine nan very highest level is amazing. This twelvemonth he could person made nan squad from what I saw successful training, you ne'er really know.

“I’m nan incorrect personification to inquire because I wasn’t expected to make it. I wasn’t picked up successful nan draft, but ended up playing successful nan NFL for 8 years.”

Other experts disagree connected whether Rees-Zammit ever really stood a chance of making it successful nan NFL. After successfully coming done a 16-week training campy tally by nan NFL’s International Player Pathway past year, he signed a three-year statement pinch nan Chiefs past summer, but aft playing 3 pre-season games he was released to nan Jaguars past August, earlier signing a caller 12-month woody successful February.

For each his talent and speed, by NFL standards moreover his athleticism is not exceptional – nan champion clip he recorded for nan 40-yard dash astatine Kansas of 4.43 seconds is importantly slower than nan 4.20 benchmark group by nan Chiefs’ fastest wide receiver, Xavier Worthy – while technically and tactically he was understandably disconnected nan pace.

Louis Rees-Zammit didn’t look to find 1 position to telephone his ain while he was successful American football, 1 logic possibly why his move location didn’t really succeed. Photograph: Denny Medley/USA Today Sports

In retrospect, his debut friends quality for nan Chiefs past August, coincidentally against nan Jaguars who signed him a fewer weeks later, was symptomatic of nan disorder surrounding nan full escapade, pinch nan coaching unit unsure really to usage him. Wearing a No 9 garment he was utilized successful 4 different positions – moving back, footwear returner, kicker and arsenic portion of nan typical teams connected punt sum – and contributed a full summation of 4 yards.

“I deliberation Rees-Zammit is simply a awesome athlete, but successful position of gait and athleticism, there’s possibly 500 of those guys successful Florida alone,” says double Super Bowl victor turned BBC pundit Osi Umenyiora, who was calved successful London earlier enjoying a stellar NFL profession pinch nan New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. “You person to beryllium superior athletically to beryllium capable to study nan crippled and past break through.”

Bell believes Rees-Zammit will return to rugby arsenic a amended player, having picked up caller skills and matured arsenic a personification because of his once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“He will person learned different ways to onslaught group successful nan unfastened field, different ways to onslaught successful tight spaces,” Bell says. “He has caller skills that opponents successful rugby won’t person seen before. His mindset will person matured. He really stepped retired of his comfortableness zone.”

Gloucester’s defence coach Dom Waldouck, who coached him for six years astatine Kingsholm, besides praises his mentality but predicts that it will return clip to readjust physically to nan differing demands of rugby. The brace person stayed successful touch during his NFL sojourn, pinch Rees-Zammit visiting nan Gloucester dressing rooms astatine a Premiership crippled against Leicester past winter.

“Physically he has changed a small bit,” Waldouck says. “The diversion floor plan of NFL athletes is different to rugby players, truthful he’s a spot bigger, much muscular.

“NFL is simply a very anaerobic sport, whereas rugby is much aerobic, truthful it will return immoderate clip for him to get backmost up to speed. But Louis is specified a talented footballer that he’ll beryllium capable to adjust. Rugby is successful his humor truthful it shouldn’t return him excessively long.

Gloucester, wherever Louis Rees-Zammit played his nine rugby, are believed to person first refusal connected him if he returns to nan Premiership. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

“This is not a failure, it’s conscionable a section successful his life that is now closed. He has unthinkable self-belief, which he will person needed to spell location successful nan first place. He has what I telephone a ‘Championship mindset’. He believes he is going to beryllium great, and truthful he is great.

“That mindset is ace rare, moreover successful elite sport. The quality encephalon isn’t designed to deliberation for illustration that, but he will beryllium fresh to rip and show rugby what they’ve been missing.”

The erstwhile Wales and Lions winger Alex Cuthbert is little concerned astir nan beingness modulation that whitethorn beryllium required, and is backing Rees-Zammit to make an effect arsenic soon arsenic he is playing again. His biggest situation successful nan short word whitethorn beryllium successful securing a nine contract, arsenic pinch conscionable six weeks until nan commencement of nan European play astir budgets are already allocated.

Gloucester are understood to person first refusal, but are already adjacent to nan salary-cap threshold, pinch neighbours Bristol believed to beryllium exploring their options. The takeover of Newcastle Falcons by Red Bull, arsenic revealed by nan Guardian successful June, presents different intriguing anticipation arsenic nan power drinks institution undoubtedly person nan resources and crave relation pinch world stars.

“I’m not moreover judge he needs a nine to play for Wales,” Cuthbert says. “He is precisely what Welsh rugby has been missing. It’s been truthful antagonistic successful Wales for truthful long, but Louis will bring excitement disconnected nan transportation and an X-factor connected it. He tin beryllium our Henry Pollock.

“After 18 months successful nan NFL he will beryllium a amended professional, will beryllium successful amended style and will bring a immense number of casual fans pinch him. It’s nan cleanable clip for him to travel back, arsenic there’s a caller Wales coach and 2 years until nan World Cup.”