Louis Rees-Zammit has been a shining light in an otherwise bleak time for Welsh rugby, he’s one of the hottest prospects on the planet, but starting this year, he’ll be plying his trade across the pond in a totally different sport, when he joins up with other hopefuls aiming for a spot in the NFL.
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00:00 But I think if he's looking after number one, I don't really see that he's got a lot to
00:08 lose.
00:10 The International Players Pathway Program is a chance for players all over the world
00:14 to have a go at American football.
00:16 Many players come from rugby or other athletic backgrounds and transition into different
00:20 positions in the NFL.
00:21 Since it started in 2017, there's been a few players make it in the league, but only one
00:25 has cemented his place as a top talent.
00:28 His name is Jordan Mailata from Australia, who plays as an offensive lineman for the
00:31 Philadelphia Eagles.
00:33 Besides him, there have been a few players here and there, but by the seams of it, before
00:37 he even picks up a ball, the odds are stacked against Louis-Sri Samet.
00:41 The International Players Pathway, the NFL brought it in in 2017.
00:46 The idea is pretty simple.
00:48 The execution, not so much.
00:50 The idea is basically to bring overseas players to the US, to sort of bring them into the
00:58 fold, into the NFL.
01:00 It's just about integrating, let's say, overseas players with a background that's kind of similar
01:05 to the NFL.
01:06 Louis has been one of the top rugby players anywhere across the globe in the last few
01:11 years, so his athletic ability is certainly there.
01:14 He has blistering speed, a great turn of pace, and can run and foot any defender on his day.
01:18 So there is real hope that he can make it in the league.
01:21 He has been officially put down as a running back/wide receiver, so catching and running
01:25 with the ball in hand, something he's already been doing for years in rugby, will be his
01:29 focus.
01:30 But there's so much more than that in the NFL.
01:33 It's the same if you transition to any sport at an elite level.
01:37 There's always going to be a hell of a lot to learn.
01:40 And it would be the same if somebody from the NFL decided to make the switch to rugby.
01:46 They're both extremely complex games in their own right.
01:49 One of the biggest culture shocks is going to be how precise everything has to be on
01:58 an American football field.
01:59 It's all well and good to look at what lies ahead for the former winger in the States,
02:03 but what does he leave behind?
02:05 A Wales team desperate for fresh talent, and with so little time before the Six Nations,
02:09 Welsh rugby will be all the worse off, losing such a promising youngster.
02:14 He's the most electric playmaker we've got in the squad at the minute.
02:19 It's a squad that's already depleted because of injury and because of players moving to
02:24 teams abroad, ruling themselves out of selection.
02:28 I think our back three in particular is not particularly deep with players who've got
02:36 a lot of experience.
02:37 And I think we may lack a little bit of cutting edge.
02:44 Plenty of people have been slating Lewis online for pursuing the NFL and leaving rugby behind,
02:49 but he's young, he's talented, there's mega bucks on offer if he makes it in the NFL.
02:53 And just picture it in a few years' time, Lewis Rhys-Sammet holding the Super Bowl trophy
02:56 aloft with the Welsh flag draped over his shoulders.
02:59 Goosebumps.
03:00 James Pete Watkins, reporting from Wales.
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