Jarryd Hayne reveals celebrity crush in wide-ranging Q&A

YOU don’t often see Jarryd Hayne lose his cool like this, but an encounter with a Hollywood star in an LA restaurant left him giddy.

SAN Francisco 49ers star Jarryd Hayne visited Twitter’s Sydney headquarters on Thursday to complete a revealing Q&A session with fans.

The Aussie rugby league convert tackled everything from whether NFL players hit harder than rugby league players to how long he’d last in a fight with Conor McGregor to who his celebrity crush is. Here are some of the other highlights.

Q: Share your story about your celebrity crush?

A: “There’s a little story to that. We had a couple of days off so we flew down to LA. We were at this really nice restaurant and Kendall Jenner happened to walk past us. (A mate) said ‘I thought that was her sitting down’. I’m like ‘Mate, why didn’t you say something? We could have walked past her and seen her ... I love her!’ She’s definitely my Hollywood crush, Kendall Jenner ... The boys were laughing and were like ‘why don’t you go outside and try and get a photo?’ but we didn’t want to disturb her.”

.@BrianCHouston wants me to share my story about my celeb crush @KendallJenner #AskHayne https://t.co/a6bdx89Pcm

— Jarryd Hayne Apparel (@JHayneApparel) February 25, 2016

Q: How long would you last in an MMA fight against Conor McGregor?

Hayne: “That’s my man! Him and Nate Diaz — I wish that fight was the fight from the start. It should have been the fight from the start. UFC is a business and those two are the biggest personalities. They’re both loud, really out there and it’s great for them. I’m excited for the fight. How long would I last? I’d go all right, I reckon. I’d last a bit because (McGregor’s) got a great counter punch and moves around a lot so I’d obviously be dancing as well, trying to last as long as I could. I love his philosophy in his fights. He loves his body being balanced and really in control and that’s something, as an athlete, I definitely love as well.”

Q: What is your favourite thing about San Francisco?

Hayne: “Probably the vibe. It’s real laid-back, real chill. I love getting down to the wharf. The Golden Gate Bridge is always pretty. It’s probably the one city that is really similar to Sydney — without the beaches.”

Q: What do you miss most about Australia?

Hayne: “I’ve actually got it right here (picks up cup of coffee). Definitely the beaches as well. There’s nothing better than Australian beaches, they’re awesome. After I’m done here I’m actually going to the beach as well. So coffee, beach, there’s no better day in Sydney.

Living without Australian coffee is enough to make you cry.

Q: Who in the NFL could play NRL?

Hayne: “From a position point of view, definitely the quarterbacks, wide receivers, middle linebackers and tight ends. The one player I’d like to see in the NRL is NaVorro Bowman. He’d be a great second-rower. He’s an absolute beast. He’s been chiselled, God’s just chiselled his body, he’s just a machine. I love watching Bow play and it’s been such a blessing and an honour to be in the same team as him and to watch his leadership and to watch him train and he’s really encouraging as well. I think NaVorro Bowman would be a great second-rower, a great lock.”

Q: Who hits harder: NFL or NRL players?

Hayne: “It’s different I guess. When you’ve got pads on you can kind of throw your body a bit more ferociously into the opponent. That’s where it does differ. You get yourself into some situations where you can’t go anywhere and blokes are just going head on and straight into you. It’s a different sort of contact from a force point of view and from a technical point of view. It would register harder in the NFL but I think both sports are definitely as hard.”

Q: How does NFL preparation differ from NRL preparation on game day?

Hayne: “It’s a lot different compared to NRL. In NFL we get to choose what time we go to the game. Normally we’ve got a 9.30am bus and a 10.30am bus or if you prefer you can drive yourself ... you can pick and choose (depending on) how the body’s feeling, how you feeling mentally as well. If you didn’t sleep that well that night they give you that bit of extra (time) if you want to relax a bit more before the game ... The squads are so much bigger as well so the preparation is more individualised, making sure you know your stuff and getting ready to rumble.”

Q: Who do you look up to in the NFL?

Hayne: “I love watching DeMarco Murray play. We’re a very similar build, same height, almost same weight. I’ve definitely watched him a lot. Being a Cowboys fan growing up, I loved it when he was at the Cowboys. He’s probably the main player. Matt Forte from the Bears as well, he’s a great catching back as well and that’s something I really pride myself on — catching the ball in the backfield. Those two guys are definitely guys I look up to. And I was blessed enough to play with Reggie Bush and Carlos Hyde — both great running backs and both guys that helped me out a lot.”

Jarryd Hayne with the man he thinks would make a great second-rower, NaVorro Bowman.

Q: Who are your best mates on the 49ers?

Hayne: “All the running backs. We do everything together. We train together, we do all our study together and spend the most time with each other. Kendall Gaskins, Mike Davis, Carlos (Hyde), Reggie (Bush) ... we had a fun time ... Bruce Miller as well.”

Q: What is your favourite formation?

Hayne: “My favourite formation is definitely from (shot) gun. I guess it’s a bit easier to read the defence a bit more and get that extra half a second of vision before you have to make a decision. I’m blessed enough to have Chip Kelly, who runs a system like that as well. So I’m excited for that and just want to get back there and train the house down and obviously impress the coaches.”

Q: How did you feel getting the ball in your first NFL game?

Hayne: “We ran a six sift (play) I think it was and it was from the Q position which isn’t fun for a running back because you can’t see when the ball gets hutted, you’ve got to watch the quarterback’s movements so your off a step, a bit. I think I made a yard or something like that. It wasn’t too bad. Vernon Davis was one of my blockers and I tried to weave in and out and just slightly missed the read. But it was exciting, my first touch, one to remember.”

Q: What’s it like running with a lot of extra gear?

Hayne: All the extra equipment took a while to get used to. It’s a lot heavier than I first thought. My helmet is about 2.5kgs and I think my shoulder pads were the same. That’s an added 5kgs on your shoulders so when you move it’s always that extra bit harder to come back or go forward. So that was a big adjustment. It’s like anything, the more you do it, the more you get used to it and by the end of the season I was feeling better but I know there’s a lot more improvement in my body.

Q: What are your goals for the upcoming season?

Hayne: “Contrary to popular belief I haven’t really set goals. I just kinda do my thing and hope it works out. It’s all about working hard and just improving every day ... Everything I did last year I just want to do it better — from every aspect ... and making my body as strong and as balanced as I can, that’s a huge thing.”

Originally published as Jarryd Hayne reveals celebrity crush in wide-ranging Q&A