Two former rugby stars who moved to American football have warned Louis Rees-Zammit of the challenges he will face in the weeks and months to come. Christian Scotland-Williamson, formerly of Worcester and Harlequins, spent two years as a tight end with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while former London Irish fullback Alex Gray also enjoyed a few seasons on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.
Both are well equipped to predict the obstacles that await Rees-Zammit. The former Wales winger switched sports earlier this year, initially picking up the Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs after progressing through the international player pathway.
Although he played several positions in the preseason, he was ultimately cut after failing to make the 53-man roster. Speaking on talkSPORT to commentator Will Gavin, it was revealed that the “problem” that led to Rees-Zammit’s departure from Arrowhead was his move from running back to wide receiver.
“They moved him from running back to wide receiver. Pass protection was apparently an issue for him, which you can kind of understand,” Gavin said. “Pass protection, it’s a tough job for someone who’s never played the sport before,” Gray added.
Scotland-Williamson explained: “Because you have the technical expertise and you obviously know where guys are coming from, who are you actually supposed to block on the fly? It’s so difficult.”
He believes Rees-Zammit’s move to wide receiver will be beneficial, saying, “And what’s going to help him now is moving to wide receiver. He relies so much on pure athleticism. That’s what he’s got.”
Scotland-Williamson added: “With all his measurables, he’s as likely to be on the field as anywhere else on the field.”
However, he expressed concerns about Rees-Zammit’s new team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are struggling and facing speculation over the future of head coach Doug Pederson.
Scotland-Williamson noted that Rees-Zammit might not get the coaching he needs, saying, “Throughout spring OTAs, you learned a new storyline, a new sport, a new playbook with the Kansas City Chiefs.”
He highlighted the differences between the Chiefs and Jaguars, saying, “A new environment, a new culture with Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, where you have an established leadership group.”
In contrast, the Jaguars are “You’re now thrown into the slightly dysfunctional Jags, they’re one and four on the season. How much coaching will actually be available this season when the main priority is for the coaches to keep their jobs? And being able to put a good product on the field to actually be able to win a game and focus on winning games to save their coaches’ jobs, which may impact the amount of coaching Rees-Zammit gets.”
Scotland-Williamson concluded: “Alex and I have both been in this situation. You can’t rely on coaches to be able to give you the answers and put you in a position to win.
“It comes from asking other players around you who you can lean on, which would have actually been more favorable if he had been with the Chiefs because he has a higher intelligence.
“They’ve been to championships. They’re really learning from the best of the best in this building.
“So now he’s in a new situation where it could be an opportunity for him to play a little bit more in pre-season next year and actually, in the long run, it’s the best decision for him.
“I think it’s very admirable. What he’s trying to do is very courageous because we’ve been there and done it and it’s going to take a tremendous amount of effort for him individually to be able to develop and play in the NFL.”
“You have to hope they give him some time, because at the end of the day the biggest obstacle for any player on the IPP course is just time in the saddle,” Gray said.
“How much time do you spend doing reps? He’ll be at the bottom of the depth chart. Most of the scout team is looking at a sheet with everything written down, so he’s not getting real game-style reps.
“But you know, it’s a positive move. It’s the London team. He’s got people interested in another team coming for him.
“He’s just got to keep moving forward. He’s got to keep his head down, not get caught up in all the hype around him and all the hype that’s going on because we all know we’re all in this together.
“We love this game. There is so much hype around everything.
“But as a player you have to make sure of that and you have to show up every day giving your best because there is someone coming out of college next year who wants to take your place.”
