Sep 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne (38) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
9. The 49ers Have A Former Rugby All-Star Returning Punts
This is just plain sick. His name is Jarryd Hayne, and if you hadn’t heard of him, make sure to look for the 49er wearing number 38.
The 27-year-old Sydney-native had a 37-yard punt return against the Cardinals, and when he runs it’s almost as if he’s trying to bull rush everything in front of him.
One of the top players in the sport of Rugby, the 49ers poached him, and it will be interesting to see if they try to sprinkle him in on offense as the season goes on. Vernon Davis will be out of the lineup this week, so maybe we’ll see Hayne in for a few more offensive snaps. Who knows?
If nothing else, this is such a fascinating storyline that even the general football fan should know about going into this game. If football ever sees a migration of players coming from overseas–specifically from Rugby–we can say it started with Jarryd Hayne.
He’s still waiting for his first career touchdown. So in some ways, we could be witnessing history Sunday night.
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