Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit visits Browns

GM Andrew Berry looking under every rock

First, the Scottish Hammer. Now, Rees Lightning.

The Cleveland Browns have brought in Louis Rees-Zammit for a visit and workout on Thursday, a league source confirmed for the Akron Beacon-Journal. Rees-Zammit recently quit professional rugby to pursue an NFL career.

At the NFL International Pro Day, Rees-Zammit (6’-3”, 209 pounds) ran a 4.44 in the 40. He told scouts that he has run in the 4.2s and 4.3s before. Rees-Zammit impressed with a 29-inch vertical jump and 9’-7” in the broad jump.

He has been clocked running 24.2 mph. No, not a misprint.

16 athletes competed and participated in drills at the NFL International Player Pathway event. Beginning last season, every club can stash a 17th practice squad player as an International Player if they don’t make the final roster.

Rees-Zammit showed great hands in drills, displayed good footwork, and is known for his brutal tackling skills.

Photo by Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images

Rees-Zammit, age 22, is a former Welsh rugby union wing. He last played for Gloucester in the English Premiership and then for Wales at the national level. He recently left the sport to join the 10-week program of the NFL International Player Pathway at the campus of the University of South Florida with the hope of joining an NFL club for the 2024 season.

The UCF event is a showcase for their talents at which NFL team scouts could assess their suitability for a contract.

Rees-Zammit told bbc.com:

“The decision was painstaking to leave. I am extremely excited to take up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue a new challenge.”

The talented athlete began his rugby career as a teenager at age 18. Gloucester has been his only professional team. His coach, George Skivington stated:

“It’s a little bit of a shock. He rang me to let me know and give me that information, say thanks very much for his time at the World Cup and how he enjoyed it. I wished him all the best. I honestly hope it all works out for him. Whilst we are naturally sad to see him leave, ultimately, we are not able to dissuade him from taking an opportunity of this magnitude with the NFL.”

Rees-Zammit is considered one of the rugby league’s brightest young players and an exciting winger. He is certainly not the first to attempt to join the NFL. Christian Wade joined the Buffalo Bills in 2019 for three seasons and Christian Scotland-Williams played tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2018-2020. Lawrence Okoye played for the San Francisco 49ers for two years at DT, and then five other NFL clubs plus the CFL and the AAF. Jordan Mailata is currently a starting offensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Since the NFL began this program, 37 international players have signed with teams and 18 are currently on rosters.

In the English Premiership, Rees-Zammit is considered one of the hottest properties. By switching to American Football at such a young age he has given himself both the option to return to rugby later on, as well as a better chance of cracking the NFL, Needless to say, that is a daunting task.

When Rees-Zammit was a child, he and his brother used to travel by train to Manchester University to watch the college team practice rugby. Their uncle, Pablo Rees, played for Cardiff Rugby in the Welsh Rugby Union as an adult so the love for the game was handed down. Rees-Zammit’s escalation from the junior level to the professional side was a rapid ascent more so than his brother.

Rees-Zammit gave this thought to WalesOnline.com:

“We haven’t had the chance to play rugby together. We used to talk about entering a Sevens tournament down in Bournemouth, but everything has happened so quickly with his rugby there’s no chance he will be allowed to do that.”

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

The athlete is Welsh-born and bred and a native of Penarth in Wales. Both of his parents are Welsh.

It has been reported that the New York Jets are also interested in having Rees-Zammit in for a visit as well.

Rees-Zammit has transferrable skills and appears to be looking at the positions of running back, returner, wide receiver, and even linebacker.

Currently, the Browns have Nick Chubb, Pierre Strong, Jerome Ford, Nyheim Hines, and D’Onta Freeman in the running back room. The receiver group is absolutely packed with Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, David Bell, Cedric Tillman, Elijah Moore, Michael Woods, James Proche, and Jaelon Darden.

Hines was signed specifically to be the principal punt and kick returner as both Proche and Darden are listed as return backups. If the Browns coaching staff is looking at him as a linebacker, there is currently an opening. Rees-Zammit has a reputation for making sure tackles.

Rees-Zammit discussed his role with an NFL team with Rob Maadi of the Associated Press:

“Catching kickoffs, catch and kick receipts, punt receipts, there’s a lot of transferable skills, and I think running back shows up probably best, getting the ball in my hand early, being able to pick a gap, being able to be aware of the surroundings.”

Wearing a helmet and pads is different. Even putting on gloves is something new for Rees-Zammit. The sport of American Football has some nuances such as using your peripheral vision quite a bit. Route running is something brand new, especially not being able to ramble downfield without a ball in his hands, then accelerate, stop, and start very quickly while trying to locate the ball in flight as a defender is draped all over him.

Photo by Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images

Rees-Zammit got a chance to showcase his skills at USF’s Pro Day in front of 51 scouts representing 31 teams — only the Rams weren’t represented.

He explained to Sky News:

“You’re trying to run a route and then, all of a sudden, you’ve got to turn around and try and catch a ball, with a helmet on, but you just get used to it.”

The sport of rugby, the Father of American Football, will use about 20 plays per game. In an American Football contest, players must learn 80-100 plays.

“I fully believe that I can make this work. If I had any doubt in my head that I couldn’t do this then I wouldn’t be here.”

Not everybody can play football. It’s a big boy sport.

The Browns always need athletic players with great work ethic and elite speed. Rees-Zammit is already acclimated to hand fighting and being rough. His speed is exceptional and at times appears he is a man playing against high schoolers. He has shown great hands and is known for open-field jukes and moves from his rugby days. He can take a hit, and more importantly, he can give it.

If Rees-Zammit can learn the game, perhaps he will become that rare gem. And even though Cleveland has a full stable of players, he might find his place.

Dream big and achieve.