Can the 49ers’ new Australian rugby star make an impact in NFL?
Mar 4, 2015 at 6:55 AM
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If Jarryd Hayne doesn't make it in the NFL, it won't be because he can't hack it athletically.Hayne, an Australian rugby star, signed with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. It's easy to see why he was a great rugby player. He measured 6-foot-2, 226 pounds during a pro day workout for NFL scouts, according to the National Football Post, and looked natural running and catching the ball, even fielding punts. He reportedly ran a 4.53 40-yard dash.Hayne wants to play running back, and only five running backs at the combine last month ran better than a 4.53.Hayne won the Rugby League International Federation's International Player of the Year award in 2009, the most prestigious honor in the sport that for all practical purposes crowned him the best rugby player in the world that year. So he's comfortable on the field of competition.So he's a physical marvel and a phenomenal athlete. But what will that mean for the 49ers?Hayne has never played American football, but his inspiration might come from the basketball players who have dominated in the NFL. Antonio Gates never played college football and is likely going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas each...
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