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Press Pass | Louis Rees-Zammit on Support in the UK · The Jacksonville Jaguars Official Podcast Network

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Okay, Lewis, thank your time. I'm great to see you here.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Have you found this whole experience? Obviously yesterday sort of
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Prince William R Own Phoebe Scheckter as well. Was that
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: another counting moment in your NFL journey. You're an ambassador
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: of the NFL at days out of the foundation.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: It's amazing and obviously you get to see, you know,
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: all the kids you know, growing up loving the sport,
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: loving football, loving flag football, you know, and there's an
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: opportunity for them to learn the game at a young age,
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: which unfortunately I didn't really have back when I was
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: growing up, but now it's great to have it now.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah, looks, do you feel like you're close to getting
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: onto the roster, getting into a game.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: I mean, I'm just working hard every day to try
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: and do what I can do to get an opportunity,
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: and you know, whenever that comes, and I'm going to
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: try and take her with both hands. But for me,
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: it's just about learning every day and you know, learning
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: from my teammates, learning from coaches, and just doing the
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: little things right, the little details, learning the playbook. Obviously,
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: you know, joining a different team first week of the season,
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: you know, it's going to take a little bit to
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: adjust and adapt to things, but you know, I'm learning
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: really quick, and you know, I'm working hard every single day.
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: What was that transition from Kansas City to Jacksonville like
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: for you? How did you find experience?
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: I mean it was it was pretty tough because you know,
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: I was just starting to get the hang of one
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: playbook and then all of a sudden, I'm trying to
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: learn a complete different one. But you know, I'm loving
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: every moment being in in this league. And you know,
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: the opportunity that Jacksonville Jaggers have given me is one
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: that of you know, I'll never forget. And you know,
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: I'm working hard at every single data to continue to
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: learn this playbook and you know, work hard every single
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: day to to learn to learn playing receiver as well,
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: which is which is quite big for me, you know,
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: making that switch a position.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: So yeah, as I said, I'm loving every single day.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: The people in the receiver room that you're kind of
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: feeding off to help you learn specifically.
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: I mean, everyone's so helpful in our room and we
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: got some We've got some unbelievable receivers that you know,
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: some that are you know greater reading defenses, some that
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: are amazing at running routes. You know, we got we
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: got the best of both worlds in our room, so
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: you know, obviously our coaches are unbelievable as well. We've
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: got Chad and Tat in there. So you know, I'm
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: just trying to learn as much as I can from
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: from everyone.
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: Was coming back to the UK with the Jaggers. How
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: do you reflect on this last year since leaving?
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: Sorry for you're about to speak, Uh, yeah, I mean
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: it's unbelievable to come back here finally. You know, I've
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: I've been in America for for pretty much nine out
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: of the ten months of this year. It's great to
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: come back see all the Jags fans and and just
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: how loyal they are, because there's there's a lot of
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: them out in the UK. So you know, us players
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: love coming out here and being able to you know,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: play in front of them and you know see that
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: support that they've stood given us. Yes, it's it's been great.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: You know, the transition from the very start was tough.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: You know, completely diving into into a different sport is
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: obviously not not an easy task to do, but you know,
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: this is what I wanted, and I'm tracing the stream
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: of mine, so you know I'm gonna I'm gonna try
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: and do it with you know, the excitement that you
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: know I bring to training every single day.
• 3:16
  Speaker 4: I'm trasing the IFL dream then as you were as
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: a rugby play.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: I mean, it's two different things, you know. Now I'm here,
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: I get to work hard and train all the skills
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: that this needed for me to be in a team.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: You know, being a rugby player and wanting to play
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: in the NFL. You know, I knew that I had
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: to do a lot in rugby to be able to
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: get the opportunity to do this. So you know, when
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: I was playing rugby and my full focus was on rugby,
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: but in the back of my head, I knew that,
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: you know, this was a massive dream of mine and
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: you know, one that I wanted to chase. And and
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: now we're here today. You know, I'm on the Jacksonville
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Jaguars and you know, I'm loving every single moment of it.
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: You're actually in the stands right at Tottenham last year
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: as just as a fan watching the game.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so it actually popped off my memories on my phone.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: It said, like a year ago. Today we were watching
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: me and my brother who's in the back there. We
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: were watching the Packers vers Giants, just as a fan
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: on the sideline, you know, hoping one day I'd be
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: able to go out there and I'd be a part
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: of a team. And yeah, it's amazing to be here. Now.
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: Are you're thinking that this is something I want to
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: go try? Oh?
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I've been thinking it for since I
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: was a little kid. It's just the opportunities you know,
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: doing the rise back back when I was growing up,
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: but you know now they did.
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: You know, I'm loving being here.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: Today.
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: But since you've started saying a wild journey, can you
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: give us an idea of how much learning the playbook
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: consumes your week in terms of hours?
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: Is it an entire day? How are you going.
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: Home and studying the playbook while you're trying to get
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: to sleep, or what kind of his that experience work.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's definitely a tough experience, you know. Obviously, you
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: know when I first joined the Chiefs playing running back,
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: you know, I was trying to obviously learn that playbook
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: and learn that role. And you probably have to learn,
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: you know, a lot less than you do. If you're
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: a receiver. You know, you need to know all the routes,
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: you need to know all the concepts, all the formations.
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: So you know when I when I when I joined
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: the Drags.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's taken a lot of my time
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: because I want to I want to try and learn
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: this as quick as possible, to be able to, you know,
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: go out there and not have to think when I'm playing.
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: I just want to be able to play fast and
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: you know, kind of know everything, you know stepping up
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: to the line. So I'd say it's taken up a
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: lot of time. But you know, I'm here and I
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: want to be here, so I know it's gonna it's
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: going to take a lot to get an opportunity, but
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: I know what I've got to do, and I've got
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: to just focus on the small details and and then
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: wait for an opportunity to.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: Come at having to go from Kansas City to Jack
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: because you're almost a blessing to the Skies that you've
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: now seen two different playbooks and as that helps your development.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: Do you think that, even though it's quite overwhelming, you've
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: seen two different coaches approach the game.
• 5:57
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean one of the big things for me
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: was was, you know, finding a position that would suit
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: me best, and you know, unfortunately it didn't work out
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: at the Chiefs and playing running back, we figured out
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: that that probably wasn't the best position for me, you know,
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: coming here and the Giants giving me the opportunity to
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: play receiver, and I feel like that position suits me
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: a lot more. It allows me to use my speed
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: a lot more than it did it running back. Just
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: a little things like that. So you know, I'm I'm
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: so happy to be here and you know, as I said,
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: I'm loving it.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I just want to say, so you went from
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: Kansas City to Jacksonville.
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: Obviously the weather in Florida is Florida. You go back
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: to the UK, I'm from Charms.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: I know what the weather's like in Boston where he
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: played from Wales, And how does it feel in terms
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: of a comfortability level to come back to the UK
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: and have whether.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: I mean, you know, I've I mean I lived here
• 6:57
  Speaker 2: my whole life, so I kind of knew this weather
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: and what it was going to be coming back. But yeah,
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: it's definitely, uh, it's definitely a lot hotter in Florida,
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: you know, just as I always adapt into the weather
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: for the for the past month and a half that
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: I was in Florida. You know, I come back here
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: and this great guys and a bit cold. But yeah,
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: as I said, I'm used to this. You know, I've
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: I've lived here for twenty two years in my life,
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: twenty three years in my life. So yeah, it's nice
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: to be back though. It feels you know, just being
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: back in the UK feels like home. And although we're
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: only here for a short period of time, it feels
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: nice to come back before you know, we leave on Sunday.
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: Young top rugby players who are maybe interested in American football.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, most definitely. I've had a load of messages from
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: from players asking how the journey's been, how the transition's been,
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: and you know, I'm I think that you're going to
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: see a lot more you know, rugby players come come
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: on the journey that you know I've gone through, whether
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: that's seeing National player pathway, you're the NFL Academy, you know,
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: going into a college in America and then going through
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: that process. But yeah, I've I've definitely spoken to a
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: few rugby players who have just asked for some advice,
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: and you know, I'm just trying to, you know, try
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: and be an inspiration for for you know, young kids
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: and people that wanted to play in this league that
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: never got the opportunity to.
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: But there's definitely a pathway for it, that person that
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: people can go to ask about that.
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: I mean, I'm I mean, I'm here to try and
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: give as much advice as possible.
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: You know.
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: Obviously it wasn't really an option me growing up being
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: able to go straight into the NFL, So I kind
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: of had to find a pathway that would allow me
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: to do that, and that was for me, the international
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: player pathway. But you know, the the NFL Academy back
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: here especially, that's one that younger people can join and
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: then head into college college in America and get that
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: experience as well and kind of compete with the with
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: the players that you know are in all over the
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: league now. So it's, you know, whatever advice I can give,
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: then I'll try and do it to the best I can.
• 9:06
  Speaker 4: Who's line right that comes with the NFL.
• 9:09
  Speaker 3: I mean I try not to.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: I try not to focus on, you know, the social
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: media aspect of it. I'm trying to focus on actually
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: getting to the team and working hard for that team
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: and you know, doing the best I can for that
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: because ultimately, you know, you don't get that limelight without
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: playing well. So I know what I've got to do to,
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: you know, try and get opportunities on the field. And
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: I'm working hard every single day with the coaches, with
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: my teammates to try and make that happen.