Now it is on. Now it begins. Jarryd Hayne has signed a futures/reserves deal with the San Francisco 49ers – my home city – and Australia’s rugby league star will attempt to make the difficult transition to playing in the NFL.
Hayne has an abundance of all the physical gifts you need to play in America’s most popular sport. He is exceptionally powerful, strong, elusive and fast. He’s fast enough for a running back.
Recently at the National Football League Pro Day, the NFL reported Hayne ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash.
Everyone expected the 27-year-old star and NRL’s joint 2014 player of the year to sign with the Detroit Lions, however, after meeting with San Francisco’s new head coach Jim Tomsula, he signed with the 49ers.
Hayne made the connection with Tomsula after an hour long meeting and explained, “he was probably the one coach that knew the transition better than anyone.”
$100, 000 American dollars sweetened the deal, but wasn’t the overriding concern. It was the connection Hayne made with his new head coach and the opportunity to show his skills.
The isn’t new for the 49ers. More than 30 years ago, San Francisco’s late head coach Bill Walsh signed track star Renaldo Nehemiah to a football contract.
Nehemiah was the world record holder in the 110 metres high hurdles and the first man to run the event in under 13 seconds. Nehemiah had blazing speed and played from 1982-1985, but he wasn’t blessed with great hands and the experiment fizzled.
Hayne is a different story. He is simply a remarkable athlete. What sets him apart is his heart, desire and burning ambition to succeed.
However, he faces a very steep learning curve.
The terminology will be difficult. Most kids in America start playing the game around seven years old. It gradually gets more and more complex through high school and college, until you reach the pros. On the field and in the huddle it sounds like rocket science spoken at break neck speed with everything riding on the next play.
The jargon and lexicon can be confusing, especially if a monster linebacker has just smacked your helmet with a ham size forearm.
English might be our mother tongue but football language is complex. Unlike basketball, or baseball, which are reaction sports, football lingo can sound like gibberish unless you’ve grown up around the game. Hayne will wow them with his physical gifts but he will need a lot of time in the classroom studying and looking a game film.
He also needs to get used to wearing shoulder pads, hip pads, a flak jacket and a helmet. That in itself will be a huge adjustment. Looking through a face mask will affect his vision on the field – it is like going from playing almost naked in true rugby style to wrapped up like a mummy, wearing armour and a carrying shield.
Hayne’s best chance of making the squad and securing a place on the team roster is as a “special teams,” player. The guys that run down the field on kickoffs and punts, make tackles, make blocks and return kicks.
His natural athletic ability should just take over and I can envision him running down like a wild man making crushing tackles with reckless abandon.
Once the press gets to know Jarryd Hayne and his story, the people of San Francisco will embrace him and pull for him.
What has always set Hayne apart as an athlete has been heart. And that is how this journey begins.
AjaybeeKUMUL
Guest
Hayne the plane - Man his got a heart that screams for success
AussieBokkie
Guest
Great piece John. Hayne joining the Niners is a win-win for me - I get to see a gifted Aussie athlete play with my team and the terrible sport of rugby league loses its best player. I really hope they train Hayne as a specialist kick/punt returner, as I can envisage him really prospering in that role. It's also likely the only role Hayne can prosper in.
Jared
Roar Pro
No, he's not guaranteed a spot on the practice team. The only thing guaranteed is $100K. He could potentially get cut tomorrow, unlikely, but always possible if they needed an extra roster slot going forward.
Rellum
Roar Guru
What does that mean, he is guaranteed a spot on the practice team?
Johnk
Guest
Check the 49ers site on that Rellum.
pat malone
Guest
he is am uch better "rugby" player than those two guys but they are enormous and have size that only small sectors of the population possess. Adongo is an absolute specimen
John Gregg
Expert
I would really like to see this guy make it. He would put some of the FUN back in football. So many backs in the NFL try and act so tough and dour; Hayne would be like a breath of fresh air. The NFL has been trying to go International for decades and with Jarryd's physical gifts combined with his Australian personality if he can make the crossover--the impact would be huge.
winston
Guest
Good on him. What an achievment
Kasey
Guest
If he makes it I think he'll be a special teams player and maybe #4 on the running Back depth chart. But I'm a Seahawks fan so I love it when the 40-whiners fail:-)
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
True. If he makes it initially as a back-up running back, who might also play some special teams, then they might use him on a smaller sub-set of the total play-book to ease him into it a bit more as he gets more and more used to things. It would be awesome if he was able to turn himself into a really good NFL running back!
josh
Roar Rookie
you forgot an OMAHA
Steve
Guest
I think he'll make the last 53. If you look at the last 2 "rugby" players to attempt the transition, Hayden Smith and Daniel Adongo they both made the 53 man roster and Hayne is the equal of those guys. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Jared
Roar Pro
Well said, you were able to state all my concerns he will have to face. People underestimate how complicated NFL playbooks are and the terminology used on the field as you say can be paramount to rocket science. It's not the simplest thing to be know exactly what to do when the following is yelled by the QB and the crowd is screaming. Simple example such as "686 Pump F-Stop on two" or "FB West Right Slot 372 Stick" and then the more complicated "west right flanker zap fake 67 keep right flanker slide y high west right flanker zap" And it's a new playbook or at least new plays every week. Granted Hayne won't be a Quarterback but he will still need to have a solid understanding of all this. On him wearing pads, I would love to be a fly on the wall as he try's to put all his equipment on the first time. And he starts trying to catch punts with a chest pad that will make that ball bounce right off. People also seem to forget that Hayne was returning kicks in League against tired players who have been potentially on the field for 80 minutes not guys that are fresh every time and whose only job for the game is to stop him. On saying all that, I really do hope he makes it.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Anything is possible under GM Trent Baalke and owner Jed York. These two jettisoned Jim Harbaugh after three great seasons for a defensive line coach ?
Rellum
Roar Guru
Now there is reports he has signed a three year deal. I think that is a gee up.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Great piece John and welcome to the Roar. Big Niners fan here so interested to see how Hayne goes. He is very naturally gifted with all the physcial tools to compete, however it is between the ears where he faces a huge mountain to climb. The complexities of the running back and wide receiver positions are such that it will take him years to learn all the nuiances. The position he would adapt to the easiest is kick / punt returner but Bruce Ellington is a pretty fair player himself. That plus the KR position seems to be becoming more obsolete as touch backs seem to be the norm these days. Anyway wish him nothing but the best !
Mervyn
Guest
So the quoting of $350K a year for making the practice squad were incorrect...there is an element of hype in all this but good luck to Jarryd...