SANTA CLARA -- Former Australia rugby league star Jarryd Hayne is just three weeks into his attempt at a career in American football, and he’s already made quite an impression with his new teammates.
Hayne, who the 49ers are trying at running back after signing him to a three-year contract in March, is learning a new sport with new terminology and a bunch of plays and pass protections that must be memorized.
Running back Carlos Hyde said Hayne is obviously taking it seriously. Never before has he seen a player with a copy of the plays tucked into his waistband for a handy reference between plays.
“He goes out to walk-through with a cheat sheet,” Hyde said. “That’s the first time I’ve seen anyone go out there with notes.”
The 49ers are taking a chance on Hayne, 27, because of the unique running and catching skills he exhibited in his former sport. The 49ers guaranteed him $116,000 to sign the three-year deal. Obviously, it's a steep learning curve, as Hayne goes from the top of one sport to the bottom of his new team's 90-man roster in a foreign country.
“It’s been, obviously, a huge learning experience,” Hayne said. “Every day there’s more plays coming that I have to know.”
It’s far too early to say whether Hayne has a legitimate chance to earn a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster. And he fully realizes he’s in for a battle against players who have played football for most of their lives.
“Everyone’s good and you have to realize everyone is trying to make the roster,” Hayne said. “We’ve got maybe 50 percent of the boys guaranteed a spot, and the rest are still chipping away, looking to make the squad.
“Part of this experience was that humbling of myself.”
