The San Francisco 49ers recently signed rugby star Jarryd Hayne from Australia.
NBC Sports reported that the futures deal was for $100,000. Hayne himself announced that he was going to play for the 49ers on March 3, 2015. Previously, several other NFL teams were also interested in the 6'2" 226-pound athlete, such as the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks. Below are some interesting facts about Hayne.
1. He's never played football. NBC Sports also reported that the $100,000 guarantee that Hayne received from San Francisco was substantial since he has never played American football before. He will most likely take the role of running back. His stats show that he is quite fast, having run a 4.53 40-yard dash -- which is the same as the top draft prospect Melvin Gordon.
2. He was a top rugby player. Inquisitr reported that Hayne used to play for the Parramatta Eels of the National Rugby League in Australia. He led the whole league in scoring in the previous year and was named co-Player Of The Year. He also won Player Of The Year in 2009. He started playing in the NRL in 2006.
3. Coach Jim Tomsula affected his decision to play for the 49ers. Heavy.com reported that Hayne mentioned how the Jim Tomsula hiring helped him decide to play for San Francisco, when he thought that Tomsula was going to the Detroit Lions.
Hayne said about Tomsula in a report by Sydney Morning Herald, "He was probably the one coach that knew the transition better than anyone and knew what it was going to take for me to make that transition."
4. He is one of the best rugby players of all time. Since he started with the Parramatta Eels, Hayne made plays immediately. He scored 17 tries in 16 games during his first season. Some experts say that he is the best fullback of all time. He played with the Eels throughout his professional rugby career.
5. He has a futures contract. Having a futures contract means that Hayne plans to play for the 49ers in the future. He will have to prove that he has the skills and abilities to make the 53-man roster for San Francisco. He is also likely to compete for a special teams position.
Hayne shared about his excitement in coming to the United States and training for the NFL.
"You have to be all in - I have all my chips on the table. I have no back up plan," Hayne said.