Chiefs' ex-rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit enjoys first football practices: 'I can't wait to see what happens next'

The International Player Pathway program has connected former rugby standout Louis Rees-Zammit with the defending Super Bowl champions.

Kansas City is taking a chance on Rees-Zammit, using the extra roster spot afforded by the program to see if he can make the jump from rugby to American football in a role that will primarily focus on the return game, with room for future inclusion in the offense. Following rookie minicamp, coach Andy Reid was encouraged by what he saw.

"This was good for him, this camp, for that reason he got a lot of reps," Reid said Monday, via team transcript. "When the guys are here, he's rotating in with those guys and he doesn't get a ton of reps there. This gave him an opportunity to really jump in and learn. He's so diligent with everything and wants to be so good at everything. I've appreciated that. You can see the progress he's made. You guys saw that yesterday with the long run he had on the screen. I thought he was going to dive in the end zone but other than that it was good. He did good."

Moving from rugby to football is no small task. It's more than just putting on cleats, a helmet and taking the field. As Reid explained it, Rees-Zammit even needs to adjust to the shape of the football.

"He's done a good job of working on holding the ball, they do hold it a little bit different, bigger ball and not quite as pointy as a football," Reid said. "He's done a good job with that, working that. He'll learn the pad level the first time he gets hit (and) he'll be able to adjust where he's at there."

Teammate Travis Kelce provided his take on Rees-Zammit's acclimation period during an episode of the New Heights podcast last month, offering a dose of reality along with encouragement.

"It's gonna be a