Louis Rees-Zammit becomes a big hit in America after bombshell news

It is six months since Louis Rees-Zammit left rugby behind and decided to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

A lot has happened in that time, from an intensive 10-week training program to signing for the Kansas City Chiefs, it has been a hell of a ride for the Welshman. Now shaping up to try and make the final 53-man roster for his new club, Rees-Zammit's journey has been one of constant ascension to the upper echelons of sporting stardom.

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In this article, we document his journey from the very start, to where he is now.

The 10-week IPP program

On January 16 2024, Rees-Zammit dramatically announced that he would be quitting rugby at just 22-years-old. A tourist with the British and Irish Lions, a Rugby World Cup tournament under his belt - no one saw it coming.

It was revealed that he would be pursuing his dream of playing American football. This would all start in the NFL's International Player Pathway program.

Rees-Zammit flew straight out to Florida to take on the 10-week program, which aims to give athletes from around the world a chance of making it in the NFL. From here, the Welshman formed friendships with fellow athletes such as Praise Olatoke and Travis Clayton, also celebrating his 23rd birthday with fellow class mates.

It was here that Rees-Zammit attempted to learn an entirely new sport, whilst readying himself for the all important trial - the NFL Pro Day.

The NFL Pro Day

This was where all the hard work at the IPP training camp would come to fruition, a chance to impress scouts from all NFL franchises. It tested Rees-Zammit's athletic ability as well as his skillset in the game of American football.

On the day, it seemed that Rees-Zammit had a sub-par performance, only managing 9ft 7in on the broad jump and 4.43 seconds on the highly-anticipated 40-yard dash. The former wing explained to journalists on the day that he had run dashes in the 4.2 range in practice. He was visibly frustrated after both the vertical jump and broad jump - clearly thinking that he hadn't quite cut it.

Despite not hugely impressing in those trials, it was the short shuttle and three-cone drill that Rees-Zammit impressed the scouts. So much so, that the Penarthian was invited on multiple team visits after the Pro Day. He visited the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets, as well as the Super Bowl champions - Kansas City Chiefs.

Split from celebrity girlfriend

Shortly after the trial day, it was announced that Rees-Zammit had broken up with influencer girlfriend Saffron Barker.

The pair went public after the Rugby World Cup last year, but hit a big obstacle in their relationship when Rees-Zammit announced his move to America a few months later.

With distance a strain on their relationship, the pair issued a statement - with Barker confirming the news on social media.

Signing for the Super Bowl Champions

However, back on the field, things were going so well.

On March 26, it was confirmed that Rees-Zammit had signed a three-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs - back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

With pay transparency the norm in the USA, Rees-Zammit's wages with the Chiefs were made public immediately. Websites 'Spotrac' and 'Over The Cap' confirmed that he would earn a total of $2.85m (£2.24m) over a three year period, with an average wage of $950,000 (£744,800) per season.

The move was confirmed on social media, with pictures of Rees-Zammit signing the contract with his family. He explained that the plan was for his brother to move over first and set up their Savitar energy drinks company Stateside, with the rest of his family moving over in a few months' time.

Travis Kelce & Patrick Mahomes

Having signed for the Chiefs, Rees-Zammit was now team-mates with NFL superstars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, Kelce is the team's starring tight-end, who is dating Taylor Swift, whilst Mahomes is the out and out star man at quarter-back.

Back in April, Rees-Zammit revealed texts between himself and the celebrity duo.

"To be fair, Pat and Travis have messaged me," said Rees-Zammit on The Rugby Pod.

"Yeah, he's my best mate now! Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce just saying: 'Welcome to KC. If I ever need anything then let me know.'"

Rees-Zammit was even training with Mahomes in Dallas, Texas to prepare for the new season.

Speaking on his New Heights podcast with brother Jason, Travis Kelce spoke on Rees-Zammit's move, saying it would be humbling, but was full of hype for the Welsh flyer: "I really just enjoy the guy's energy so far. He's super excited about the opportunity that he's been given, knowing that not everybody gets these opportunities.

"He was an absolute star in the European rugby league he was in. So for him to make the jump and try and go from Wales to Kansas City, it's a pretty ballsy move and a pretty bold move to be making"

NFL Draft appearance

In early May, the famous NFL Draft took place in Detroit, Michigan.

A record-breaking 775,000 people attended the event over three days, with Rees-Zammit standing centre stage with his fellow IPP athletes from the program.

The Penarthian held up the Welsh flag with pride as friends Travis Clayton and Bayron Matos were selected by NFL franchises.

Luxury lifestyle

Outside of American football, Rees-Zammit has been living the high life.

Now single after his break up from YouTuber Saffron Barker, the Welshman was spotted on a date with Sports Illustrated model Xandra Pohl.

The 23-year-old is TikTok famous and also a successful DJ who has played at Ushuaia Ibiza. The pair were spotted at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City, with rumours sparking that Rees-Zammit may have a new girlfriend.

Alongside his love life, the former Gloucester man got a new ear piercing to add to his famous look, and attended Travis Kelce's music festival 'Kelce Jam', which included rappers Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, as well as house DJ Diplo. The Welshman got a back stage pass and got to watch the performances from a VIP area.

As if his exploits in American football weren't enough, he attended a softball charity game recently and proceeded to hit a home run on his first attempt in front a vibrant crowd. You can read about that here.

Impressing coaches and fans

Addressing Rees-Zammit's performances at the rookie mini-camp, legendary Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said: "This camp was good for him for that reason," he told reporters after the mini-camp concluded on Monday "He got a lot of reps. When the guys are here, he’s rotating with those guys. He didn’t get a ton of reps there, but this gave him an opportunity to really jump in and learn.

"He’s so diligent with everything and wants to be so good at everything," Reid added. "I’ve appreciated that, and you could see the progress he’s made.”

One clip from the mini-camp caught the eye of coaches and fans, with Rees-Zammit breaking free and evading tacklers in a hugely promising move.

Chiefs assistant head coach Dave Toub explained that Rees-Zammit has exceeded expectations since joining up with the team: "He’s done above and beyond what I’ve expected. He wants to be great and he’s a great athlete."

Fans have been absolutely loving the Welshman, too.

On the Upperhand Chiefs podcast, hosts David Pokorny and Garett Aimutis discussed the former Wales star's arrival and impact: "We just started talking about Louis Rees-Zammit out of nowhere," began host Pokorny.

"I'm so excited to see how this guy moulds into a player. Dude, he has the ability to pass it across the entire field from his hip as a lateral."

Co-host Aimutis added: "The dude has legs that are just carpets. There was this video that I saw, and it was one of the Chiefs' OTAs, and at the way end of the clip you just see Rees-Zammit catch a pass on the outside and go up and the dude's thighs are just thicker than steel rods.

"There have also been reports that he has been a bit of a trouble to bring down in practice, and I think that's going to be an under-rated part of his game. Mostly in the kick return but obviously tackling is going to be a lot more secure if he does play a considerate amount of snaps at running back."