Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit made headlines in 2024 when he signed with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs via the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. However, after one full season, he returned back across the pond to continue his rugby career.

"I just felt like I was kind of wasting my talent out there," Rees-Zammit said, via The Times. "It's very difficult to get into the NFL if you haven't gone through the college system. You just don't get the same opportunities as those boys. I was getting minimal reps, and it was just something that I was fed up with when I was practising there."

Rees-Zammit played running back for the Chiefs and got some action as a kick returner in the 2024 preseason as well. However, he did not make the 53-man roster, and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. In Jacksonville, he started working more at receiver, but ultimately returned to rugby.

"It was absolutely brutal. I was seeing new players every day, players cut every day. It was pretty tough, and I knew that going out there," Rees-Zammit added.

Rees-Zammit ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, according to ESPN, and once hit a top speed of 24.2 mph during a rugby match. It was thought he could potentially make an impact as a return specialist with the NFL's kickoff change, but he apparently didn't find the kind of opportunities he was looking for.