Welsh wizard Louis Rees-Zammit enjoyed a remarkable trip to Kansas City to learn from the NFL’s elite during the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp.
Rees-Zammit, a speedster who was part of Wales’ Six Nations-winning side earlier this year, spent a week in Missouri to pick the brains of some of the league’s most accomplished players, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The 21-year-old, who plays for English Premiership club Gloucester, shared the Chiefs’ locker room with Super Bowl-winning stars Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
Rees-Zammit said he was blown away by the ridiculous level of athleticism he witnessed: These guys are all 6ft 3in, 18st of just pure muscle and supreme athletes. The Chiefs are probably the best team in the NFL, so to get to know them and learn from them was a dream come true.
The Chiefs were impressed by Rees-Zammit’s pace, with Mahomes believing he could have a future in the NFL. He’s unbelievably quick, said Mahomes. His acceleration and top-end speed are as good as anyone we have here.
Rees-Zammit admitted he was surprised by the meticulousness of the Chiefs’ training regime. They take every single detail into account, he said. They measure everything. Your hydration levels, your sleep, your diet. They even put googles on us while we slept to track our brain waves.
Asked what he had learnt from Mahomes, Rees-Zammit said: He’s a visionary player. He sees things the rest of us don’t. He’s always looking for the big play. And he’s not afraid to take risks.
He added: I’ve come back buzzing. I feel like I’ve improved as a player already and I can’t wait to put what I’ve learnt into practice for Gloucester.
Kind regards,
C. Dixon
