Louis Rees-Zammit: The Welshman chasing his NFL dream

Louis Rees-Zammit stunned Welsh rugby when he quit the sport to join the NFL at the beginning of 2024

Louis Rees-Zammit made his third appearance for the Kansas City Chiefs in a pre-season friendly on Thursday night.

It was the former Wales rugby star's final chance to stake his claim for a spot on the Chiefs' regular season roster.

The ex-Wales winger, who hit international headlines earlier this year when he quit rugby to pursue a new career in American football, had been one of Wales' star players.

His gamble paid off when he secured a three-year deal with reigning Super Bowl champions the Chiefs in March.

But Rees-Zammit must now wait for the franchise to decide who makes the cut from 90 players down to 53 for the start of the new NFL season.

Who is Louis Rees-Zammit?

Louis Rees-Zammit enters the field with the Chiefs for a pre-season game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on 10 August

Rees-Zammit was born in 2001 and grew up in the seaside town of Penarth, in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales.

As a child, his parents said he was "always on the go".

"[He had] ants in his pants," his mum, Maxine, previously told the BBC. "His legs were moving all the time."

He first got involved in rugby at the age of seven, before deciding to pursue a career in the sport.

In 2020, aged 18, he signed his first professional contract with Gloucester Rugby.

He broke records at the club, becoming their youngest European player, before getting the call to play for Wales in the 2020 Six Nations.

Rees-Zammit celebrates victory at the final whistle following the Rugby World Cup 2023 match between Wales and Fiji

His rugby career continued to sky-rocket, as he became one of the youngest players to be called up for the British and Irish Lions in 2021, and made Wales' Rugby World Cup squad in 2023.

Rees-Zammit, who scored 14 tries at international level, has described himself as being very close to his family and, as of last year, was still living at home with his parents.

"My family haven't missed a game, probably since I was seven," he said previously.

"It's the reason why I play the game, to try to make them proud."

Why did Louis Rees-Zammit join the NFL?

Rees-Zammit hinted at his future ambitions in a BBC documentary which aired last September.

"Rugby's been amazing to me, and it's given me everything I ever wanted. But I want more than that. I want more than rugby," he said.

In preparation for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he travelled to the US city of Atlanta where he worked with Chip Smith, a performance coach who trains pro-athletes - including thousands of NFL players.

Months later, in January 2024, he said that after "careful consideration" he would be joining the NFL's IPP, a 10-week crash course designed to teach the skills to succeed in the league.

"I would like to reiterate that this does not necessarily mean I am retiring from rugby," he said at the time.

Rees-Zammit in training for the Kansas City Chiefs in May

"But rather at this age and stage of my life, I am excited to explore a unique challenge that has the potential to diversify my skill set," he added.

He drew interest from several NFL franchises, including New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, before signing a three-year deal with the Chiefs in March.

"Growing up in Wales, rugby is absolutely massive, so that’s what I decided to pursue. But I always had it in the back of my head that I wanted to play in the NFL one day," he later told Men's Health.

Rees-Zammit during training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs

Will Louis Rees-Zammit make the final 53-man roster?

By the end of the pre-season games, NFL teams have to narrow their rosters down to 53 players.

Nicknamed "Rees Lightning" because of his pace, the question of whether Rees-Zammit will make the cut has been the subject of much speculation.

But although his chances appear small, it is not impossible, and the Chiefs are likely to take all the time available to them to make their decision.

In 2019, former England rugby union wing Christian Wade scored a 65-yard touchdown with his first touch on his debut for the Buffalo Bills at a pre-season game.

But despite that, he never played in the regular season for Buffalo and instead spent three years on the franchise's practice squad.

Wade previously warned Rees-Zammit to expect some "lonely" times in the NFL.

The Chiefs' final 53-man roster is due to be announced on 27 August.

Who else plays for the Kansas City Chiefs?

Travis Kelce (centre) with his girlfriend Taylor Swift after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl earlier this year

Perhaps the best known NFL player in the world is Travis Kelce, a tight-end for the Chiefs.

Kelce, who is the boyfriend of Taylor Swift, has won three Super Bowls with the team since being selected in 2013.

Meanwhile, fellow Chiefs player Patrick Mahomes is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks American football has ever seen.

The 28-year-old signed a 10-year contract with the Chiefs in 2020, reportedly worth $450m (£353m).