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In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Australian time, Jarryd Hayne’s quest to make it in the NFL will reach a crescendo when the San Francisco 49ers’ coach Jim Tomsula leads the team’s first official practice.
Training camps are massive for all NFL teams. It’s a chance for fringe players like Hayne to prove they’re worthy of a spot in the final 53-man roster. By the end of the 10-day training camp coaches will have drawn a line through a number of names that won’t cut it before pre-season games take place.
Hayne has taken part in mini-camps and Organised Team Activities known as OTAs in the lead-up. By all reports the former rugby league superstar made great strides in those hit-outs and is feeling fit after recovering from minor foot surgery.
“That’s taken it’s time, and I’m obviously still getting my speed back and fitness, but you know I’m probably 80-90 per cent which is good,” Hayne said.
The 27-year-old is already one of the most talked about free-agent signings at San Francisco and his comments at a press conference this week fascinated reporters who were keen to hear his thoughts on the game.
“I’m sure there are going to be times when I get smashed because I’m running too upright,” Hayne said of his running style.
“That’s part of the learning curve. I don’t have fear in that. I’d rather get hit hard and learn like that than beat around the bush. It’s one way you learn from your mistakes.”
The Australian was also asked about the difference between a gridiron ball and the steeden in rugby league. Hayne said the gridiron ball felt like ‘catching a baseball’ when Quarter-back Colin Kaepernick whizzed one through the air.
Hayne is hoping to make it as a running back and/or a kick returner on Special Teams. For a guy who’s used to improvising in rugby league, the concept of pre-determined plays and positioning on the field will be the hardest step to master.
“It’s a process, and that’s one of the kind of final steps in figuring out the blueprint of everything I need to do,” he said.
Getting used to the padding in the sport has also been a factor.
“With the helmet, a lot of players lead with their head and use their head as part of force to get over a running back and that’s something that’s obviously a bit different. For me it’s basically about technique.”
The San Francisco 49ers training camp will wrap up on August 13.
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