Louis Rees-Zammit has opened up on signing for the Kansas City Chiefs, text messages he’s received from Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and the daunting task ahead of him as he aims to earn a place as a starter.
The former Wales rugby international participated in the NFL International Player Pathway program in March, after which he met with several franchises before signing with the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs.
The 23-year-old told The Rugby Pod podcast he has been welcomed with open arms by staff and players, including Mahomes and Kelce, who have both messaged him.
“Pat [Mahomes] is my best mate now,” Rees-Zammit joked.
“Pat and Travis [Kelce] have messaged me, just saying ‘welcome to KC,’ if I ever need anything let me know. Everyone’s been so welcoming.
“I feel like when you step into facility, you just feel like you’re going to win. They have all of their Super Bowl trophies straight in front of you and everyone’s so confident, so chatty. You just feel a belief within the facility. I was blown away.”
The Chiefs have signed the former Wales winger with the view to play him as a running back or wide receiver, and Rees-Zammit is confident he can make an impact.
“I really believe in myself. I really believe I can make a difference to the team,” Rees-Zammit said.
“I’ve met all the coaches, they were so lovely to me as well. The plan we both have is very good. I’ve met a couple players. I haven’t met everyone, but even just the staff around the building, you just know they have belief in everything they do.”
However, he said he is “glued” to an iPad loaded with the Chiefs’ playbook as he attempts to learn the team’s plays, and he’s conscious of how much work his sports switch involves.
“You’ve got to learn like — over a season — a thousand plays. You go into a game with 80 plays,” Rees-Zammit said.
“I mean in rugby, you’ve got what, 5 scrum attacks? So it’s a lot of revision time but the way I’m seeing this is, I’m absolutely loving this, I’m enjoying diving deep into the game itself and into football.
“I’ve got my iPad with the playbook on it. I’m absolutely loving it.
“They [Chiefs] have been absolutely amazing to me, I’ve met all the coaches, we’ve got a very good plan, all on the same page.”