I chased NFL dream just like Louis Rees-Zammit – he has everything he needs to make it

A rugby star who tried to make it in American football has addressed Louis Rees-Zammit's chances of making his mark in the NFL after joining Jacksonville Jaguars

A Premiership rugby star who tried his hand at American football is adamant Louis Rees-Zammit has what it takes to succeed in the NFL.

Gloucester winger Christian Wade left rugby in 2018 to pursue an NFL career, making his debut with Buffalo Bills the following year and even scoring a touchdown in that pre-season game, but spent the rest of his tenure on the practice squad. It’s a similar position to where former Gloucester star Rees-Zammit – now a member of Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad – finds himself after he was released by Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs.

Fresh from their first victory of the season over Indianapolis Colts, the Jags host Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday. Speaking ahead of the game, Wade says Rees-Zammit 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,” Wade, 33, told talkSPORT.

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Recalling Wade’s early impact at Gloucester, Wade said 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.”

But Wade warned it will take more than sheer athleticism to stand out in the NFL, adding: “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.”

Wade’s NFL career began before the league’s UK academy – now based at Loughborough – opened in 2019, though it might have started even earlier had Wade not turned down an initial Jags offer in 2015.