Louis Rees-Zammit, the former Wales rugby player who left the sport to pursue a career in the National Football League (NFL), just needs more time to adapt to American football, according to Henry Hodgson, the general manager of NFL in the UK and Ireland. Hodgson said that Rees-Zammit’s attempt to make such a swift transition from rugby to American football is unprecedented. While acknowledging Rees-Zammit’s talent, he also said the player has much to learn about the nuances of the sport. Rees-Zammit has tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs and now the Jacksonville Jaguars but has yet to play an NFL game.
Hodgson is hoping that Rees-Zammit’s transition will encourage other athletes to try out for the NFL. He points out that the NFL Academy in the UK takes kids aged between 16 and 18 where they can gradually learn the sport. He cites Travis Clayton, who was signed to the Buffalo Bills after attending the academy for several years, as an example.
Rees-Zammit made his debut for Wales in 2020 and won 32 caps. However, he said earlier this year that he was ready for a new challenge. Hodgson said it was a bold step for Rees-Zammit to pursue a career in the NFL. The move has not been without setbacks – in August he failed to make the squad for Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs, prompting his move to the Jags.
Hodgson hopes that Rees-Zammit will end earlier unsuccessful transitions by rugby players to American football: “They are similar sports in the fact that they’re contact sports, but they’re also very, very different”. However, fans at the London game between the Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins were optimistic about the Welshman’s ability to make the switch. More than 60,000 spectators attended each game during the 2021 London Games, something Hodgson said demonstrated the NFL’s commitment to attracting younger audiences
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