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Can Athletes Really Succeed in the NFL Without Playing Football From Childhood?
Monday, April 27, 2026
Louis Rees-Zammit’s recent decision to step away from the NFL after an 18-month pursuit of gridiron glory has reignited a question that lingers over every international athlete attempting the leap: Can you truly succeed in the NFL without having played American football your entire life? The answer, as always, is complicated—but the stories of Rees-Zammit, Jordan Mailata, and Efe Obada suggest that while the path is brutally difficult, it’s not impossible.
The Rees-Zammit Reality Check
The Welsh rugby star, who once dazzled for Wales and the British & Irish Lions, entered the NFL with fanfare in 2024 after being selected through the league’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program. Signed first by the Kansas City Chiefs and later by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rees-Zammit never appeared in a regular-season game. His NFL career consisted of three preseason appearances, one catch for three yards, and a practice squad stint.
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Rees-Zammit acknowledged the uphill battle: “International players get probably two to three years to make it in the NFL. I’m 24 now, probably got one to two more years to try and make it depending on how this year goes.” His self-imposed deadline—returning to rugby by age 25 or 26—reflects the harsh reality for crossover athletes: the NFL’s learning curve is steeper than most realize.
Why the NFL Is Different
The biggest hurdle isn’t physical. It’s mental.
Christian Scotland-Williamson, a former rugby player who spent two years on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad before becoming a barrister, put it bluntly in a 2025 interview with BBC Sport: “Learning both of these [law books] was easier than learning an NFL playbook.” He held up two thick legal tomes—each over an inch thick—and added, “Doing all that, I still wasn’t working as hard as I had to when I went to the NFL. It recalibrates what you think is hard.”
Former NFL player Christian Wade, another rugby convert, echoed the sentiment: “The playbook’s like this,” he said, holding his hands several inches apart. “It is quite intimidating, but there’s a method to it. You have to learn the terminology and how to dissect it so that you can retain the information, then in a few hours put that into practice.”
For context, most NFL players have been immersed in the sport since childhood. High school and college systems in the U.S. Provide years of structured coaching, film study, and repetition. International athletes, by contrast, are often learning the basics of formations, audibles, and route trees while simultaneously trying to prove they belong on an NFL roster.
The Exceptions That Prove the Rule
Despite the odds, a few athletes have defied expectations:
- Jordan Mailata (Australia): The Philadelphia Eagles’ left tackle, a former rugby league player, became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl in 2026 (Super Bowl LIX). His journey from raw prospect to elite lineman took years, but his success has inspired others, including Australian rugby star Jordan Petaia, who recently announced his own NFL pursuit.
- Efe Obada (Nigeria/UK): A former homeless teen who became an NFL defensive end, Obada spent years on practice squads before earning a starting role with the Carolina Panthers. His story is one of perseverance, but even he admits the transition required “relearning how to play football.”
- Osi Umenyiora (UK): The two-time Super Bowl champion with the Novel York Giants didn’t start playing football until his late teens. His success came through relentless film study and physical dominance, but even he has called the NFL’s playbook “the hardest part of the job.”
What It Takes to Beat the Odds
For international athletes, the formula for success seems to require three non-negotiable elements:
- Elite Physical Tools: Mailata’s 6’8”, 365-pound frame and 40-yard dash times under 5.0 seconds made him an NFL-caliber prospect despite his lack of football experience. Rees-Zammit’s 4.39-second 40-yard dash (faster than most NFL wide receivers) was a major selling point, but speed alone wasn’t enough.
- Football IQ: The ability to absorb and execute complex schemes is critical. Scotland-Williamson’s comparison to law school isn’t hyperbole—NFL playbooks are designed to overwhelm, and players who can’t master them quickly are replaced.
- Time: Most crossover athletes need 2–3 years just to become comfortable with the basics. Mailata didn’t start a game until his third NFL season. Obada spent four years on practice squads before breaking through. Rees-Zammit’s timeline—18 months without a regular-season snap—was likely too short.
The Jordan Petaia Effect
Rees-Zammit’s story hasn’t deterred the next wave of rugby-to-NFL hopefuls. Jordan Petaia, a former Wallabies star with 31 international caps, recently told Mirror U.S. Sports that he’s pursuing the NFL due to the fact that of the “diversity” of the game. “There’s so many different aspects of the game,” Petaia said. “You’ve got two sides of the ball, so you can’t do everything like you can in rugby. There’s a lot to learn, a lot of different rules, and a lot of different schemes, so it’s pretty cool.”
Petaia’s decision was directly influenced by Mailata and Rees-Zammit. “I just love the challenge,” he added. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
What’s Next for Crossover Athletes?
The NFL’s International Player Pathway program continues to expand, with teams now required to carry at least one IPP player on their practice squads. The league’s push for global growth means more opportunities for athletes like Rees-Zammit and Petaia—but the bar for success remains high.
For Rees-Zammit, the next chapter likely involves a return to rugby. “I’ll be 25, 26 when I go back to rugby,” he said. “I like to think I can still play at the highest level.” His NFL dream may have fallen short, but his story has already inspired the next generation.
Key Takeaways
- The NFL’s playbook is notoriously complex—often compared to learning law school material in a fraction of the time.
- Only a handful of international athletes (Mailata, Obada, Umenyiora) have succeeded without prior football experience.
- Physical tools alone aren’t enough; football IQ and time to develop are critical.
- The NFL’s International Player Pathway program is creating more opportunities, but the success rate remains low.
- Rees-Zammit’s decision to return to rugby highlights the difficulty of the transition—but his story has already inspired others, like Jordan Petaia.
What to Watch
Retain an eye on these developments in the coming months:
- Jordan Petaia’s NFL Journey: The former Wallabies star is expected to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. Will he follow Mailata’s path or become another cautionary tale?
- IPP Expansion: The NFL is adding more international players to practice squads. Will any break through in 2026?
- Rees-Zammit’s Rugby Return: After a two-year hiatus, can he reclaim his spot on the Wales national team or the British & Irish Lions?
For now, the NFL remains the ultimate proving ground for elite athletes from other sports. The question isn’t whether it’s possible to succeed—it’s whether the next crossover star can beat the odds.
What do you think? Can athletes from other sports ever truly master the NFL? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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