How a rugby superstar is taking on the NFL

Jarryd Hayne was at the top of his game, in line to become Australia's highest-paid National Rugby League player and potentially earn more than $1 million a year. Then he gave it all up for a gamble on a sport he had never played — American football — in a country that doesn't know him.

This summer, Hayne has been training with the San Francisco 49ers, and he looks promising, says Eric Branch who covers the 49ers for the San Francisco Chronicle. But why did he up and leave Australia, stardom and a pretty hefty salary for the NFL?

“You could say he was bored, however there might be something to that,” jokes Branch. “I think he was ready for this challenge. And it is [a challenge] to go from dominating to now being a low guy on this totem pole.”

In some ways, his position on the Australia’s National Rugby League for the Parramatta Eels as a returner is similar to his position on the 49ers as a punt and kick-off returner. 

“When he came to the 49ers in the spring he was a natural at fielding a punt, which is not the easiest thing to do,” says Branch.

Haynes has been praised by football coaches and his fellow players for being “great in space.”

“Meaning, that when there aren’t a whole lot of people around him, he has this great vision and instinct and a knack for knowing where people are going to move to try to tackle him and he has plenty of countermoves. That is ideal for a punt returner and a kick-off returner in the NFL,” says Branch.

However, Haynes is also trying to become a running back, and oftentimes there’s not as much open space. It’s more congested in NFL play.

“That, I think is where you can say, ‘OK, this guy hasn’t necessarily played in the NFL, he certainly hasn’t played football most of his life,’” says Branch.

He might not have played football most of his life but he has proven that he could take a hit. Football players tend to hit harder than Rugby players who don’t wear padding and protection. According to Branch, Hayne was put to the test early on during practice.

“The first time was in training camp practice where they went what they called “live” — meaning full contact. His first carry was kind of a welcome-to-the-NFL-moment,” says Branch. “A guy named Cornellius "Tank" Carradine came up and gave Hayne a wack. As you can imagine a guy named Tank is about 300 pounds. He shrugged it off and the next play he came back and made a very nice run.”

But will Jarryd Hayne make the cut?

Branch is optimistic.

“Jarryd Hayne was a cute little story, a nice diversion during training camp and then I saw him play and he became a legitimate story. At this point that his chances are fairly decent.”