Jarryd Hayne quits NRL and Parramatta Eels for career in NFL

Jarryd Hayne is to quit rugby league and attempt to build a career in the NFL.

The Parramatta Eels star has left the Australia squad for the Four Nations and will head to the US for trials. Hayne had a superb season and was named Dally M winner along with Johnathan Thurston earlier this month.

“For the past 24 months I’ve been thinking about having a crack in the NFL, and over the last 12 months I’ve been seriously considering it,” said Hayne in a statement on the Eels website. “Today I can officially announce that I will be heading to the United States to pursue an opportunity to play American football. I will be withdrawing from the Kangaroos Four Nations side immediately, and accepting a conditional release from the Eels to make the move overseas.”

Seattle Seahawks, the Super Bowl champions, are a possible destination for Hayne. He recently returned from a trip to the US city, where he looked at the team’s facilities. His initial training base, however, will be Los Angeles. For the moment, he does not have a club though and hopes to end up on a practice squad, which acts as a back-up to the active team. Practice squads are a common destination for rookies and players learning their trade. Lawrence Okoye, a former Olympic discus thrower for the UK, is currently on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad after attempting to carve out a career in the NFL. Players from the practice squad cannot play in games but can be called up to the active roster due to injuries.

A typical salary for a practice squad member is around US$100,000, significantly less than the Hayne earns in the NRL. “I am leaving as the game’s highest paid player because I want to chase my dream,” he said. “I’m heading over there as a blank canvas, it is crazy exciting. I am going making this decision now because I want to give it every chance, I won’t play this year because the [NFL] season is already six games old. I am aiming at next year and I’m starting preparations now.”

Hayne acknowledged it would be difficult to leave the Eels, a club he has played for since he was a teenager. “It hasn’t been an easy decision for me to leave the Eels, the club’s been my home and family since I was 13, and I’ve always been proud to pull on the blue and gold jersey with my team-mates,” said Hayne. “The hardest thing about leaving the club is there’s stability for the first time in a long time, but I know where my heart lies and I’m following that.”

Hayne also confirmed that if he returns to the NRL it will be with the Eels. “On behalf of the board and Eels members, I wish Jarryd the very best of luck in chasing his NFL dream,” said the club’s chairman, Steve Sharp. “It’s going to be an incredibly tough challenge for him and for someone at the pinnacle of a sport like rugby league, to start from the bottom in another is very brave. Our door is always open for Jarryd to return.”

Tim Sheens, the Australia coach, was shocked by the news. “You’re kidding me,” Sheens told the Daily Telegraph. “That’s news to me. I’m shocked he didn’t say anything.”

Hayne will not be the first Australian to attempt a career in the NFL. Former AFL players such as Darren Bennett, Ben Graham and Sav Rocca built successful careers as punters. There are currently two Australians on NFL rosters: Brad Wing, a punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Jesse Williams, a defensive tackle for the Seahawks.

Hayne has indicated he would like to play as a punt or kick returner, which he believes corresponds closely to fullback in rugby league.

— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) October 15, 2014

Hayne says “easiest transition” for NFL would be to become a punt returner or kick returner pic.twitter.com/f6iM4mu6Jv

Another option would be tight end – a receiver who also takes on blocking duties, although he may lack the height and bulk for a position in which most players are well over Hayne’s 189cm. Hayden Smith, who was born in Australia but went on to play for the USA in rugby union had a brief career as a tight end for the New York Jets.

Australia’s most successful NFL players

Darren Bennett, punter The first Australian to make a significant impact in the NFL. Bennett trod a now familiar path, starting out in Aussie Rules where he played for West Coast Eagles and Melbourne. After going to California on honeymoon he contacted the San Diego Chargers and the strong leg he had developed as an Aussie Rules player helped him win a place on the practice squad as a punter. He went on to play for the Chargers in a remarkably successful nine-year career, making the All Pro team for the league’s best players twice. He was also named to the NFL’s 1990s All Decade Team and is a member of the Chargers’ hall of fame. He currently coaches kickers and punters in California.

Matt McBriar, punter Played Aussie Rules growing up in Melbourne but, unlike Bennett, never played the sport professionally. Instead, he played punter for the University of Hawaii before carving out a career with the Dallas Cowboys between 2003 and 2011. Like Bennett, he was named to the Pro Bowl twice, and was one of the highest paid punters in the league during his career, making over $1m a year.

Sav Rocca, punter Rocca played for North Melbourne and Collingwood during a 14-year AFL career, and is 13^th in the league’s all-time goalscoring list. In 2003 he switched to the NFL and became the oldest rookie in league history at the age of 33. He played on until the end of last season, with spells at the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins.

Jesse Williams, defensive tackle Williams became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring, with the Seahawks last season. The win was tempered by the fact that Williams had sat out the season injured. He had hoped to come back for 2014 but another injury ended his hopes of playing this season.