Jarryd Hayne, a former rugby league superstar in Australia, is trying to make the jump and play for the NFL in the United States. And it looks like he's making a good first impression.
During his first semi-competitive game in the NFL preseason on Saturday, Hayne, who is currently tied to the San Francisco 49ers, seemed to have no problem dancing around the Houston Texans' defence.
On his second touch (for those unfamiliar with the American lingo, touch means when a player receives the ball), Hayne made an extremely impressive 53-yard run, pushing off tackles and generally showing the Americans what he can do.
Wearing the number 38, Hayne certainly made the social media pundits sit up and take notice.
Last year, @49ers RB @jarrydhayne_1 was playing rugby. This year? He's putting NFL defenders on skates. #SFvsHOU http://t.co/30PS6ENIFP— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2015
Halftime @jarrydhayne_1 impressive in his @49ers @NFL debut: 5 Carries - 63 Yards 2 Punt Returns - 24 Yards 1 Incomplete Pass #HaynePlane— Fox Sports Lab (@FoxSportsLab) August 16, 2015
Watch it again! @jarrydhayne_1 breaks loose for a big 53-yard gain. #SFvsHOU http://t.co/LnPrLrsVJS pic.twitter.com/7TlH600mHh— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 16, 2015
Jarryd Hayne is in the running early for MVP of the game. He fields punt cleanly and gets upfield for an 11-yard return.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoCSN) August 16, 2015
Rugby star Jarryd Hayne is not just a cute offseason story. 53-yard scamper for the 49ers!— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) August 16, 2015
Hayne hasn't yet made the 49ers 53-man squad for the official season that begins in September, but if he keeps this up, he has a decent shot.