Jarryd Hayne’s newest home-grown competition

JARRYD Hayne’s fumble with his first touch in the NFL left a nation gasping. Ahead of Monday’s game, one Aussie will be hoping for a repeat of that touch.

This Aussie wants Hayne to fumble

AHEAD of Jarryd Hayne’s second season game with the San Francisco 49ers, one would think the image of the Australian’s first touch in the NFL remains at the forefront of his memory.

As a punt from Minnesota Vikings kicker Jeff Locke swirled high above the stands in Levi Stadium, the majority of Hayne fans around the globe weren’t even considering the possibility of the former NRL fullback not catching it, such is his usual comfort under the high ball.

So when Hayne misjudged the kick, lunged forward and fumbled the ball just in front of the Vikings 40-yard line, fans and commentators were in shock.

One television commentator described it as an “inexcusable mistake”, while the thousands of newly-discovered NFL diehards around Australia were scratching their heads wondering why the players weren’t forming a scrum to follow the knock-on.

Despite Hayne bouncing back and producing a solid performance with 13 rushing and seven receiving yards, with Locke’s kick causing such trouble from the outset for the 27-year-old, he will undoubtedly be wary not to make the same mistake this weekend in the 49ers first away game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday (AEST).

The fumble that sent the Hayne Plane through a patch of minor turbulence.

However the Steeler’s game comes with a catch.

The man responsible for kicking duties with Pittsburgh, who will be tasked with trying to force a mistake out of Hayne and the 49ers kick returners, is fellow Aussie Jordan Berry.

Also in his rookie season, Melbourne-born Berry followed a very different path to realise his NFL dream to that of Hayne.

Son of former Essendon kicking coach Jason Berry, the 24-year-old had spent the best part of four seasons playing college football with the University of Kentucky, but was unable to get a trial with any NFL teams.

Berry returned to Australia last year, spending the majority of his time working the graveyard shift at McDonald's in order to save enough money for a return trip to the States to give the NFL one last shot.

Luckily for Berry, flipping burgers paid off, with the Pittsburgh Steelers inviting him to battle it out with fellow Aussie Brad Wing for the full-time kicking duties.

Berry was given the nod ahead of the Steeler’s season opener against the New England Patriots, and averaged 43 yards off two punts.

Despite the kicker’s less than star-studded rise to the NFL, he has proved more than capable of causing Hayne plenty of trouble in the air.

Berry will be hoping to force a Jarryd Hayne fumble when he takes the field against the 49ers.

With his debut now behind him, the Pittsburgh kicker has his eyes on facing the former NSW Blues fullback, but praised his fellow countryman after the first round of the season.

“He (Hayne) has done an absolutely awesome job to get where he is,” Berry said to the Beaver County Times.

“The preseason, he did really well in the return game. Had a bit of a shaky first play on (Monday), but he’s a great player. Really happy for him to get as far as he has.”

There is no certainty Hayne will field any of Berry’s punts, with it likely he will fill in for the injured Reggie Bush at running back.

However if Berry is to launch the leather at Hayne, there is no doubt he will be hoping to force the same mistake that proved San Francisco’s token Aussie is human after all.