Great athletes have one very important characteristic in common. No matter which sport they attempt to play, they just seem to easily excel in all aspects of the sport. Think of Michael Jordan retiring from basketball to play professional baseball. Bo Jackson was a world class athlete who won college football 's Heisman Trophy and played in both a NFL Pro Bowl Game and MLB All-Star Game. Word has it he was also an excellent basketball player.
It looks like Jarryd Hayne might be the next great athlete to try to make a name for himself in two major league sports. The real interesting part of this story is he will be trying to transition from a rugby superstar playing in Australian to an NFL running back playing in San Francisco. To make the story
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Credit should be given to 49ers officials for seeing potential in a rugby player who has great hands, power and speed. When Hayne reported to camp in 2015, the general sentiment was it would be a miracle for him to make the team 's 53-man squad. After two solid games during the preseason, the announcement came he had indeed made the team 's roster.
In limited play, Hayne gained 155 all-purpose yards rushing, receiving and returning punts. What was most impressive was his determination related to learning to run the ball and conquer a game he had never played at any level prior to the start of his adventure.
With the NFL draft just hours away, word out of San Francisco is that new Head Coach Chip Kelly in anxious to see if Hayne can make a big step forward in his second year. Even while he was coaching in Philadelphia, he was aware of Hayne 's fascinating story, telling reporters "He (Jarryd Hayne) certainly has a skill set that is intriguing.”
Aside from again making the squad, Hayne hopes to continue learning to run the ball like a NFL running back as opposed to a rugby player. At 28 years old, he still has enough time to conquer the NFL and do his country proud. It won 't be easy, but the fact he is a great athlete bodes well for his chances of establishing himself as a viable running back in