Travis Kelce has warned new Chiefs teammate Louis Rees-Zammit to be ready for a ‘humbling experience’ in Kansas City later this year.
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Rees-Zammit, a former rugby star for Wales, put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Super Bowl champions last month after making a shock switch to football.
After impressing at the International Player Pathway program, the 23-year-old held contract talks with several teams before eventually accepting a reported $884,000 deal in Kansas City.
Rees-Zammit was listed as a running back by the Chiefs following his arrival, but later revealed that he is likely to be used primarily as a kick-off returner next season.
And ahead of his sensational move from rugby to NFL, he has received some words of warning from Kelce.
Kelce spoke glowingly about his new teammate while also warning him about what’s ahead
The legendary tight end said about Rees-Zammit on his New Heights podcast: ‘It’s gonna be a humbling experience at first. It’s not easy to just make that jump, they’re two completely different games.
‘He is an athlete and that’s what the Chiefs saw. He’s a smart kid, a smart player. So he’s gonna be able to pick up the offense eventually.
‘But it’s gonna be a tough few months for him here while he’s getting acclimated to the NFL. We’ve been doing this since we were kids, so we’re gonna have those little instincts that we’ve built over the years that he’s got to catch up with.’
Despite admitting his initial concern for the new Kansas City arrival, Kelce is already relishing the prospect of playing alongside Rees-Zammit in the future, while insisting he is ‘as suave as it gets’.
‘I really just enjoy the guy’s energy so far,’ he continued. ‘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 man… it’s a pretty ballsy move and a pretty bold move to be making man.’
Kelce also added: ‘The biggest advice I gave him was just try not to let it overwhelm you as much as it can, and know that everybody believes that you have the potential to be able to play. So absorb as much as you can, learn as much as you can in the short time you have before the season.’
Having only just turned 23, and given his unusual career path, Rees-Zammit could go on to become one of the NFL’s biggest names if he proves as talented on the football field as he did on the rugby pitch.
Travis’ brother Jason says Rees-Zammit could become ‘the most marketable player of all time’
Travis’ brother Jason believes he has is a potential superstar in the making, saying about the NFL’s recent addition: ‘Listen, I’m excited. I know it’s gonna be a learning curve, [but] I hope this guy takes the world by a f****ng storm. It will be electric.
With a smile like that, this guy… if he works out, he’s gonna be the most marketable player of all time.’
Rees-Zammit reportedly met with Super Bowl winning coach Andy Reid and his staff – a privilege not always afforded to young prospects eyeing a contract with a team.
‘Everyone’s goal is obviously to win a Super Bowl,’ he told Mail Sport last month. ‘But I need to find a team that’s right for myself and for the franchise. As long as the team has a good plan and we’re on the same page, that’s all that matters.’
He added: ‘I need an opportunity to show what I can do. I feel ready to be honest with you. I know what I’ve got to focus on and that’s training hard and learning everything I can in the classroom.’