Chiefs rookies reported to training camp this week and it’s a return to familiar beats of preseason work for most of them.
The notable exception to that is Louis Rees-Zammit, who is trying to make the move from rugby to football for the back-to-back Super Bowl champs. The Welshman signed with the Chiefs this offseason and he is still learning the ropes of his new vocation. That makes for longer days than some of his teammates are putting in this summer.
“We don’t finish meetings until 8 p.m. and I probably go to bed at 10 p.m. so an extra two hours just learning the plays because I’m playing catch up with a lot of people that have played American football since they were little kids, six years old,” Rees-Zammit said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “There’s no time to rest for me. I’ve got to give this my all because ultimately this is my dream and to make it come true then I’ve got to play. I’ve got to be a step ahead of a lot of people. I’m nonstop trying to learn this playbook because as soon as I can start not having to think about playing and just playing fast, that’s the biggest thing for me.”
Rees-Zammit is working with the team’s running backs and special teams is likely to be a big part of his path to making the roster. Another big part of the puzzle is how he handles playing in pads and the difference in contact from his former sport to his current one. He’ll get tastes of both in the near future and a clearer picture of his chances of making the cut will come into focus.
