Louis Rees-Zammit says his American Football dream is “alive” after starting out on the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) following his switch from rugby union.
The Gloucester, Wales and British and Irish Lions wing stunned the world of rugby last month by quitting the sport in an attempt to secure a contract with an NFL team in 2024.
Rees-Zammit has joined the NFL’s intensive 10-week IPP programme in Florida, where he has been training as a wide receiver while also doing some running back drills.
“There’s a lot of transferable skills over from rugby,” Rees-Zammit, 23, told BBC Wales’ Scrum V programme.
“I’m absolutely loving training. My pursuit to be in the NFL is alive and I’m excited to see what the next 10 weeks holds.
“It’s tough to get your head around it a little bit at the start but, as with everything, you get used to it.
“The vision out of the sides (of the helmet) kind of effects things. But I’m getting used to it now and I’ll see what happens.”
Rees-Zammit says 10 international players have joined the IPP, with a pro day held at the end of the programme to determine whether individuals are good enough to make the NFL grade.
He said: “You basically come here and work the game of football on and off the field, in the classroom and training six days a week.
“Ten weeks of intense training to see if your dream becomes a reality.
“It was the hardest decision of my life (to leave rugby), but it was always something I wanted to do, since a young age, and I thought it was the right time.
“If it works out, I have 10 years to try to play the sport I have loved growing up watching or I can come back to rugby and play the sport I love playing.”
Wales have lost their opening two Guinness Six Nations games in Rees-Zammit’s absence, narrow 27-26 and 16-14 defeats to Scotland and England respectively.
“I was jealous of the boys playing and it was in my mind that I was pretty gutted I did not play,” Rees-Zammit said of Wales’ defeat at Twickenham on Saturday.
“The boys put a shift in and just managed to lose, which was tough. They gave it their all.
“Gats (Warren Gatland, Wales head coach) was unbelievable with me when I told him of my decision.
“He asked if it (American Football) did not work what I would be doing and I said obviously I would be coming back to rugby.”
Panthers defensive lineman Brown could miss rest of season
The Carolina Panthers not only suffered a 47-10 blowout defeat to the New Orleans Saints in their 2024 opener on Sunday, but they also may have lost Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.
NFL Network reported Monday that Brown will undergo surgery to repair a meniscus injury, and a timeline to return will be determined following the procedure.
Brown was a bright spot for the league-worst Panthers last season, leading all NFL defensive linemen with 103 tackles and tying for fourth with six passes defenced to earn his first Pro Bowl selection.
In April, the seventh overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft was rewarded with a four-year, $96million contract extension through the 2028 season.
Brown’s only missed game of his NFL career came in 2021. He’s started 64 of 67 contests while recording 248 tackles, eight sacks, two interceptions and 21 passes defenced.
Prescott targets Super Bowl win after signing bumper Cowboys contract
Dak Prescott has set his sights on Super Bowl success after signing a bumper new deal with the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas struck an agreement with Prescott just prior to their opening game of the season on Sunday, with the new contract, which runs through the 2028 season, worth $240million with $231m guaranteed.
That makes Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history.
"A little emotional call," Prescott said when reflecting on receiving the video call from his agent while he was warming up for Sunday's clash with the Cleveland Browns.
Prescott went on to lead the Cowboys to a 33-17 victory, completing 19 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.
And the 31-year-old knows the pressure is on for him to deliver this season.
"It's my only motivation," Prescott said.
"Hold up my part of this deal. Just deliver that. That's my motivation.
"Right now it's about celebrating this win tonight. Hell of a win with these guys, excited for this plane ride back with them, but then turning the page tomorrow, getting on to the [New Orleans] Saints and taking it one game at a time.
"That is what is at the forefront of my mind. Not the money. It's about holding up my end of the deal. And I want to do it here."
Prescott failed with 13 of his passes against the Browns, and insists he must improve on that level.
"I put the most pressure on myself. Simple as that," he said.
I'm not happy with my performance and that's what motivates me. That's what pushes me. You try to be bummed about it in the locker room, but you know it's a win on the road, which is good for the team and then you got teammates telling you it was a hell of a day for you.
"I put the most pressure on myself. Nobody's a bigger critic than I am personally, and I expect greatness out of myself with my standards, my expectations and the same for this team."
Tyreek Hill 'trying to put it all together' after police altercation
Tyreek Hill was "still trying to put it all together" after he was detained by police ahead of the Miami Dolphins' opening NFL game.
Hill was detained after an altercation with an officer after he was stopped for reckless driving just hours ahead of the Dolphins' clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
The 30-year-old was subsequently released, and not only played for Miami in their 20-17 win over Jacksonville, but crossed for a touchdown, celebrating by mimicking being put into handcuffs.
A video of Hill's altercation with the police went viral on social media, and after the game, he said: "Right now, I'm still trying to put it all together. I still don't know what happened.
"But I do want to use this platform to say, 'What if I wasn't Tyreek Hill?' Worst-case scenario, you know?
"Everybody has bad apples in every situation, but I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make it a positive on my end and Miami-Dade and do something positive for the community.
"It's hard. I don't want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets kind of iffy when you do. What if I wasn't Tyreek Hill?
"Lord knows what those guys would have done. I just wanted to make sure I was doing what my uncle always told me to do whenever you're in a situation like that - put your hands on the steering wheel and just listen."
Videos showed Hill pinned to the floor, surrounded by four officers, and Miami-Dade police department has now lodged an internal investigation."
One of Hill's teammates, Calais Campbell, was also detained as he tried to de-escalate the situation.
"Disobeying a direct order," Campbell said when he was asked why he had been detained. "He [the police officer] said I was too close to the scene and then I think he said something about me not moving my car in time, I don't know.
"He told me I wasn't being arrested but he cited me for being detained and then released."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
