'Louis Rees-Zammit has everything he needs to make it in NFL – this is what he must do'

Louis Rees-Zammit is currently plying his trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, having been released by the Kansas City Chiefs, and has been backed to make it in the NFL

Louis Rees-Zammit has what it takes to be a hit in the NFL – according to a British rugby star who trod the same path.

The Welsh speedster joined the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad in August after being cut by Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. Rees-Zammit is not part of the Jags’ 53-man roster but can be called up if there is an injury in the main playing group.

The Jaguars are playing regular-season games against the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday and the New England Patriots at Wembley next weekend. Christian Wade, a winger at Rees-Zammit’s former side Gloucester, pursued an NFL career after leaving rugby in 2018, making his debut with the Buffalo Bills the following year and even scoring a touchdown in that pre-season game.

He spent the rest of his time on the practice squad, a similar position to the one Rees-Zammit finds himself in now. However, Wade believes the 23-year-old has the tools to go further than he did.

“One hundred per cent. All it takes is… he needs to get the trust of his coaches. So they know, 'OK, we can put him in the game',” he told talkSPORT.

On Wade’s early impact at Gloucester, Wade recalled during a Viagogo insights briefing: “First of all, I think Louis is an exceptional athlete. I remember when he first came into the Premiership, he was 17, 18, this fast kid, just sprinting through guys, scoring tries for fun. And I was like ‘he’s definitely going to be a big star for the future’. He’s already played for the Lions, he’s done it all.”

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Wade stressed that it will take more than pure athleticism to stand out in the NFL though, warning: “He’s an exceptional athlete, but over in America everyone is an exceptional athlete.

“So in order for you to stick out and be somebody, having a resume in college is obviously a big thing, which we don’t have as UK football players, and then also just understanding the game.

“It’s one thing if you can run fast, but the amount of information that you have to take in pre-snap, that’s a challenge I faced, and I saw a little bit of that in Louis’ pre-season games. The guys who come over from the UK, you’re fast, you want to go, but you’re doing a lot of thinking. That’s the only challenge I feel you need to get over.”

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