NFL superstar not surprised Louis Rees-Zammit is struggling as he reveals 'very unnatural' problem
Philadelphia Eagles star Jordan Mailata, formerly a rugby player, says he isn't surprised Louis Rees-Zammit is struggling to find his feet in American football because it took him two years before he played in the NFL.
Rees-Zammit's season just finished with Jacksonville Jaguars, with the Welshman not playing a single minute, although this campaign had been described as a learning year.
The Welshman was part of the Jags' 17-player practice squad, with the opportunity to be elevated to the 53-man roster up to three times across the season. But his time hasn't come just yet.
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Jaguars let Rees-Zammit's contract expire, meaning that he is now a free agent, but there is reportedly an offer on the table for the Penarth product for next season. Read more about that here.
On the latest episode of 'Walk The Talk' with Jim Hamilton on RugbyPass, the former Scotland international interviewed current NFL star Mailata, who, like Rees-Zammit, was also a product of the International Player Pathway program.
Hailing from Australia, Mailata had played rugby league for South Sydney under-20s before following his dream of playing American football. He says he understands Rees-Zammit's struggle, having been through the same process himself.
If you're curious about Mailata's credentials in the NFL; he has played in a Super Bowl, recently won the PFF's “Best Run Blocker” and “Best Offensive Lineman” of 2024, and thanks to his ability - takes home around £18million a year.
"Chatting to Louis Rees-Zammit," began Hamilton, referring to another episode of 'Walk The Talk' with the Welshman, "when they come through the International Player Pathway program at 21, 22, it's that spatial awareness of not having done it as a kid. Which you didn't do. That's where you are really an outlier in this. You've been so successful in a very technical position, how is that? Is that just a natural thing?
"Louis Rees-Zammit said that is what he is struggling with most."
"Very unnatural," answered Mailata.
"It doesn't come to you naturally. Like I said earlier, the more you give to the game, the more it gives back. This isn't easy. It's not an easy sport. I used to laugh when I watched these highlights back home. 'I can do this sport, it'll be easy!' Nah, man. For the first two years I didn't even play a game. I was still trying to learn the game.
"And then it humbles you real quick, this football game that I get to play every Sunday. It's extremely hard, and I'm not surprised that Louis is struggling, because I was there. The more repetitions that you get, being in this unnatural position, the better it is for his development."
If you would like to watch the full episode of 'Walk The Talk', then click here.
