Louis Rees-Zammit has revealed he received a handwritten note from pop star Taylor Swift as he talks about the ‘ruthless’ way the Kansas City Chiefs fired him. The former Wales international joined the Super Bowl champions earlier this year after switching from rugby to football, but was left out before the end of the season after not being included in the 53-man squad.
He is currently a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad working toward his dream of playing in the NFL. But the process of being eliminated by the chiefs was a “life-threatening” one, with Welsh receiving the news via text message.
Speaking with former Scotland second-row Jim Hamilton on RugbyPass TV’s Walk the Talk, Rees-Zammit revealed it was not Chiefs assistant coach Andy Reid who delivered the news. The 23-year-old has not heard from Reid since leaving Arrowhead. . “The biggest thing about American football compared to other sports is that if you sign a contract, your down payment is guaranteed,” he said.
“If you don’t have the money guaranteed, they can fire you at any time.
“It happened to me, I go to training camp and one day everyone is in the building and they start cutting players because they have to get a 53-man squad.
“It’s really killer. We have a group of players and scouts. We have so many people in different positions that all we can do is text messages.
“Honestly, it’s just cruel. When everyone is in the building, they basically get a text saying they can bring their iPads and meet in a certain room. That’s when they’ll know.
“If you didn’t get the message, you’re on the team. If you did me, you got the message, you went upstairs and talked to the players. You had a positive conversation with them.”
“But ultimately I wanted to play receiver. They have a strong receiving group in Kansas City. The Jags allowed me to join their practice squad, which was amazing.”
“I got calls from Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach asking me to join the Chiefs. I got calls from 10 other teams as well. I haven’t heard anything since I got fired, but that’s just business.”
“I knew how bloody it was, and now I’ve experienced how bloody it is. Just do it. I’m not going to beg them to talk, so just move on to the next thing. I’m happier than I’ve ever been with the Jags.”
Since switching sports, Rees-Zammit has endured some online abuse. It was even revealed that his phone number was leaked and he was receiving messages and calls from random people.
“There was a lot more bad than positive,” he added. “I have too many DMs.”
The athlete revealed the dark side of his newfound fame: “My phone number is leaked. People message me and FaceTime me. I’m just chasing my dream. People can say what they want, but at the end of the day.” , it’s my dream to get into the NFL and make it happen.”
“I’m chasing it. I don’t think about what other people think of me. I know I have this ability, but it’s just something I’m trying to do. The more I hear about hate, the more I can get into it. My head is on one side. “Put it aside and focus on what you can control.”
On a more positive note, he shared a touching encounter with global superstar Taylor Swift, who wrote a heartfelt handwritten note for him during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs.
As Chiefs player Travis Kelce’s partner, Swift’s connection to the team earned the Welshman a note to cherish. “I never met her,” he said.
“I went to a concert and I got a handwritten note from him.”
The message I received before training camp said, “It was before training camp, so all I could say was, ‘Have a good season, have a good training camp, and take care of yourself.’” like that.”
– and other supportive feelings.
This memento now holds a special place in his Cardiff home as a reminder of the surreal experience. “It’s at home. It’s in Cardiff. I didn’t take it to America. It was crazy to get a letter from Taylor Swift. That’s the kind of life I lived and I was just sitting around.” “
