The former Welsh winger is currently on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.
Two former rugby players who both played American football have warned Louis Rees-Zammit of the challenges that will await him in the weeks and months to come.
Former Worcester and Harlequins second-row Christian Scotland-Williamson 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 therefore well placed to know the obstacles that await them on the road that Rees-Zammit is currently taking.
The former Wales winger made the change of sport earlier this year, having initially been picked up by Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs after progressing through the international player pathway.
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However, despite playing multiple positions in the preseason, he was ultimately cut after failing to make the 53-man roster. Speaking on talkSPORT to radio station commentator Will Gavin, the “problem” that led Rees-Zammit to leave Arrowhead.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“With all his measurables, he’s as likely to be on the field as anywhere else on the field.”
Rees-Zammit was picked up by the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars, his new team marred by off-field speculation about the future of head coach Doug Pederson.
And Scotland-Williamson believes the Welshman could struggle to get help from coaches when they are too focused on saving their own jobs.
“Throughout spring OTAs, you learned a new storyline, a new sport and a new playbook with the Kansas City Chiefs,” Scotland-Williamson said.
“A new environment, a new culture with Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, where you have an established leadership group.
“You’re now thrust into the slightly dysfunctional Jags, they’re one and four on the season. How much coaching are they really going to have this season when the main priority is for the coaches to keep their jobs? And be able to put a good product on the field to be able to actually win a game.”
He added: “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.”
The other issue, as Gray explained, was the number of reps Rees-Zammit would get in practice compared to other players.
“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.”
