It has been claimed that former Wales standout Louis Rees-Zammit plans to try his hand at an NFL hybrid running back/wide receiver position.
Rees-Zammit shocked rugby fans on Tuesday by announcing his retirement from the game to follow his American ambition, just minutes before Warren Gatland revealed his Six Nations selection.
In addition to increasing the NFL’s appeal internationally, the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) aims to make its player base more global by providing players from countries other than the USA and Canada with an opportunity to succeed in the major leagues. With our daily email, you can have the most recent rugby news delivered right to your inbox for free.
Rees-Zammit, 22, and fellow rugby player and former star of the Northampton Saints, Harry Mallinder, are two of the 16 players included in the program this year; you can learn more about them both here.
Last night, the NFL’s official ‘X’ account, which boasts 34.6 million followers, shared the list of potential players in their 2019 IPPP intake, along with the positions that each player is vying for.
Alongside Rees-Zammit’s name is the hybrid position of wide receiver and running back. With his fast speed and ability to beat defenders to the ball and catch it, the wide receiver position seems like a perfect fit, but he also wants to try his hand at running back.
“I would be ecstatic to return kicks,” Rees-Zammit said. “In rugby, I truly love doing it. In rugby, I always want to be in possession of the ball. That would mean playing someplace along the offensive line as a hybrid, running back, or receiver. No matter what, I’ll obey directions.
“This couldn’t have come at a better time for me, especially as I’m pretty much the same age as players coming out of college so I have time to learn the game and learn those skills.”
Running backs usually have a low center of gravity and are shorter in order to break through defenses and gain first down. Naturally, Rees-Zammit, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, is more accustomed to crossing the gain line in rugby, typically in wide areas on the flank or when he has more time to retrieve the ball in the number 15 shirt.
One player who plays such a hybrid role in the NFL right now is Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers. Samuel is also taller than six feet.
This is an audacious move on the part of the Welshman, but as we have seen from his time in a Gloucester or Wales rugby shirt, he is also quite driven and self-assured.
