Former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne is in training camp with the San Francisco 49ers this year, and new head coach Jim Tomsula couldn't possibly sound more impressed.
"Did you see him catching those punts?" Tomsula asked reporters Friday. "It's a little easier to catch a football than it is a rugby ball. If wind gets that rugby ball, that thing is zigzagging all over the place."
Tomsula added that it's still early on Hayne's camp tenure, and that where the team is currently at in their camp process still very much resembles Hayne's former profession. "You watch what we're doing here and it's still rugby. There's no pads here. He's fielding balls and running around in shorts and a T-shirt," Tomsula said. "Am I thrilled he's here? Absolutely. He's a neat dude. All that stuff is great. He's running around, learning his stuff. He's dedicated. He's committed. He's a pro."
Hayne's trying out for the 49ers as a running back, where they actually have a need for some new blood after seeing Frank Gore leave for the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason. Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush are expected to be the primary ball-carriers, though, while Kendall Hunter has been with the team for a while and they drafted South Carolina's Mike Davis earlier this month as well. That means if Hayne wants to make the squad, he'll likely have to make an impact on special teams, which makes the fact that Tomsula's impressed with his punt-catching abilities slightly more important than it might seem at first glance.