Louis Rees-Zammit’s defection to American football on the eve of the Six Nations entered the public consciousness in a way that rugby union rarely does. It left excited questions floating around on cell phones. Why did the Welsh wing, who at the age of 22 was already a British and Irish Lion and a budding star of the game, give up for a spot on the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP)? Can he flourish in the States as a running back or wide receiver?
Many will be following Rees-Zammit’s progress closely. Rugby fans will also be intrigued by the exploits of Harry Mallinder and Darragh Leader. Both have represented their respective countries, England and Ireland, at Under-20 level and aspire to become kickers or punters. Two lesser-known rugby players may have better odds of beating the NFL. George Smith has joined the IPP from Coventry after being recruited by the Championship side two seasons ago from Old Redcliffians, the Bristol fifth division where Ellis Genge learned the game.
Travis Clayton is another IPP-induced. He was at Basingstoke in Counties 2 Hampshire, on level eight of the pyramid (view the Instagram post below).
Both Smith and Clayton are big men. The first, a lock, is 6 feet long and weighs about 277 lb. Clayton, a speedy wing, stands just under 6 feet tall and weighs 292 lbs. They will learn how to protect quarterbacks as offensive linemen. It was in this role, at left tackle, that Jordan Mailata, who played rugby league in Australia before becoming the IPP’s biggest success story, started Super Bowl LVII for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Offensive linemen require tremendous strength and mobility, as well as intuitive knowledge of play patterns. Osi Umenyiora, two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and now one of the ambassadors of the IPP, emphasizes the importance of raw materials.
“The offensive line is very difficult, but the one thing they do have is ‘Planet Theory,’” he explains. “There are only so many people over 6 feet tall walking around the planet, right? Everyone else, there are many. The big boys, there aren’t that many.
“If you have a guy of that size and you can teach him the little tricks and get him up to speed, they have a much better chance of success than anyone else. If you look at the IPP programme, who has been the most successful player we’ve had? Jordan Mailata, one of those Planet Theory guys.
“When you see a guy of that size, you think, ‘Okay, we’re going to train him.’ Everyone else is a dime a dozen in the NFL.”
At 6ft 3in and 13st 12lb, or 194lb, Rees-Zammit is described as having an “average” build for an NFL wide receiver. Umenyiora believes the ex-Gloucester flyer will “probably be faster” than most too. There’s a free comparison to Julio Jones, who was selected to the Pro Bowl for six consecutive seasons between 2014 and 2019.
“There are a few wide receivers that come to mind with his frame and profile,” Umenyiora said of Rees-Zammit. “Maybe a Julio Jones? We’ll see how [Rees-Zammit] moves sideways and how fast it is in small areas. When he was tested, he had the speed and the measurability to be a good player.”
“I think he will definitely gain muscle mass and weight,” Umenyiora added. “Rugby meant running a lot more distance. It’s constant. The NFL is stop-start; crack. He’ll probably gain muscle if he starts doing the explosive lifts we do. His body is going to change quite a bit, I assume. If he can maintain his speed while adding 10, 15, maybe even 20 pounds, I think he will be the ultimate athlete.
Last weekend, Christian Wade Rees-Zammit warned that life in the IPP program can be “lonely” and that things are sure to get “really, really fast”. Christian Scotland-Williamson, another rugby union convert who took on an attacking position as a tight end, put on 10 pounds of muscle in five weeks as an IPP athlete and pored over a 40-page playbook (see Instagram post below). Catching passes coming over your shoulder is just one skill that is largely foreign to rugby players.
As Umenyiora outlines, the first part of the IPP program is an “immersive” ten-week training camp in Florida. Long days are interspersed with large meals, video analysis and theory meetings, training on the field, more large meals, weights, stretching, physiotherapy and massage. The class of 16 hopefuls will hone their craft between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. If that doesn’t sound taxing enough, potential kickers like Mallinder and Leader face a unique sense of isolation. One miss can be enough to cut a contract.
“They are there, but it can seem like they are not part of the team,” Umenyiora laughs. “You might not see them during the week. They go out on their own and do their own thing… but when the game is on the line, you better have a good game. They have to get through it. A good one is extremely valuable.”
“They are usually strange people, kickers. But that comes with the territory, because you’re on the team, but alone. There is so much on your shoulders, there is so much pressure that you have to deal with.”
Tyler Bass, the Buffalo Bills kicker who missed a 44-yard pitch Sunday night as the Kansas City Chiefs advanced past his team to the AFC Championship, has already deactivated his social media accounts amid reports of death threats. Umenyiora suggests the punter position, charged with seizing the ball for field position on fourth downs, would be “a much easier path to success” for Mallinder and Leader.
Playing just once in the NFL is a great achievement. Doing this through the IPP requires tremendous mental and physical effort, as well as extraordinary adaptability. Suddenly compliments matter very little in rugby. But it doesn’t hurt to have ‘Planet Theory’ by your side.