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World reacts to Jarryd Hayne making final cut for 49ers

ONLY a few hours after it was announced that Jarryd Hayne had become an official 49er, the Australian’s following has soared.

DAN ELSOM
5 min read
September 6, 2015 - 9:46AM
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 03: Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers walks off the field after their NFL preseason game against the San Diego Chargers at Levi's Stadium on September 3, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 03: Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers walks off the field after their NFL preseason game against the San Diego Chargers at Levi's Stadium on September 3, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

ONLY a few hours after it was announced that Jarryd Hayne had become an official San Francisco 49er, the Australian’s following has soared.

Fans in the US are already rushing to get a piece of Hayne memorabilia before it sells out, with stocks on the number 38 jersey already in single digits at Levis Stadium’s official 49ers store.

Nearly 11 months after the former NRL star announced he was leaving the Parramatta Eels to pursue a long-held dream of playing in the NFL, Hayne was able to breathe a sigh of relief, resting on the knowledge that he would in fact play in the biggest football spectacle the US has to offer.

And with Hayne’s journey being without a doubt one of the most followed sporting stories of the year, it is no wonder the world reacted with such vigour.

US MEDIA

ARGUABLY one of the most talked about stories of the NFL pre-season, Hayne’s coverage among the mainstream US media has been extensive since his arrival in the Bay Area.

As it was made official that he would be around for the rest of the season, US reporters couldn’t wait to get a piece of the action.

Mercury News reporter Cam Inman called Hayne “the 49ers most multi-talented asset through the exhibition season.”

According to Inman, Hayne’s jerseys have been in hot demand since the announcement.

Matt Maiocco of csnbayarea.com was first to announce the news of Hayne’s survival, and claimed the 27-year-old could be on track to become the 49ers’ return specialist for the upcoming season.

“While the 49ers did not immediately announce all the roster moves, it is clear that Hayne showed more than enough during training camp and four exhibition games to avoid the list of cuts,” he said.

“While Hayne is not in the conversation to replace Carlos Hyde or Reggie Bush as the team’s top two running backs, he put himself into solid position to enter the season as the 49ers’ return specialist.”

Around The NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal said Hayne is likely to make his official debut in week 1 of the regular season, and compared him to a young Reggie Bush.

“Hayne opened eyes in the preseason as an excellent return man. He’s also a rugged running back with a penchant for open field plays and running over tacklers,” Rosenthal said.

“Hayne’s special teams ability likely won him the spot on the team, because he’s not going to be high on the running back depth chart. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hayne earned the Week 1 starting kick return and punt return duties. He might even get a few plays out of the backfield. Essentially he’s a jumbo-sized version of what his new teammate Reggie Bush used to be.”

ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez described Hayne’s “incredible journey” as a “novelty becoming a reality”, while The New York Times praised the Aussie’s ability to adapt to a range of positions.

“Renowned for his acceleration and counter-attacking skills in rugby, Hayne said all along he believed he could make it as either a punt returner or kick returner.”

“The 49ers appreciate versatility and depth, and Hayne has shown he is sure-handed and unafraid to take a hit.”

HAYNE IS STOKED

JARRYD Hayne was understandably excited by this morning’s announcement, relaying the joyous news to his 158,000 twitter followers.

Prior to the announcement, Hayne showed for the first time that he is in fact capable of fear, commenting that he was nervous ahead of the final cuts.

Hayne spoke of his gratitude at being given the opportunity to try his hand in the NFL.

“I’m blessed and honoured to be part of the 49ers franchise. They’ve given me the opportunity and put faith in me,” he said.

“It was literally almost 12 months to the day that I told my agent I wanted to come over.”

49ERS COACH JIM TOMSULA

THROUGHOUT the media hype following Hayne’s journey to the NFL, 49ers coach Jim Tomsula has remained relatively quiet when it came to singing the praises of his Australian running back. However during a conference call following the roster announcement, Tomsula commended the former NSW Blues full-back on his approach to the challenge.

“You’ve got yourself to the starting line, and it’s a long race,” Tomsula said.

“His situation is unique. I can’t say enough about his approach and the kind of person he is. He’s a world-class athlete.

“Making an NFL roster is an outstanding accomplishment. I can’t say enough about his approach.”

NFL CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF HAYNE

THE NFL went Hayne-crazy on Twitter this morning, positing three consecutive tweets to celebrate the Aussie’s achievement.

HAYNE WELCOMED TO THE 49ERS FAMILY

SAN FRANCISCO were sure to give their newest adopted Aussie a warm welcome, as the #HaynePlane began trending on Twitter for the fifth week running.

Former 49ers offensive lineman Jesse Sapolou was quick to congratulate the 27-year-old, identifying him as a “pioneer” for aspirational Australians in the sport.

“So very proud of this kid, it’s a lesson to all young athletes to go after your dreams. Congratulations to Jarryd Hayne, you’re a pioneer to all from Australia and New Zealand who want to play Gridiron. Welcome to the 49er family,” Sapolou said on Facebook.

Hayne’s fellow running back Mike Davis poked fun at the ex-NRL star’s for ever thinking he may be cut from the team.

And yes, he knows he spelt Jarryd wrong.

WIKIPEDIA GOES HAYNE-MAD

HAYNE’S Wikipedia page was buzzing with activity this morning, as users rushed to update his information and labelled him an official NFL player. By the looks of the last line of his profile, someone got a little carried away.

NEW MARKETS ON THE HAYNE PLANE

WITH confirmation of Hayne’s successful selection came a whole new list of Hayne odds, as markets opened to follow his passage into the regular season.

Ahead of the pre-season, the 27-year-old was $1.70 to make the final cut, however his performances during the trial games made his selection all but certain.

“Hayne was $9 to score a touchdown this season and $51 to reach the endzone in Week 1 before the pre-season and he’s now $2 to score a touchdown in 2015 and $8 to reach the endzone in Week 1,” TAB’s Trent Langskaill said.

Hayne is currently at $8 to score his first touchdown against Minnesota in week 1 of the NFL regular season.

Markets have also been opened to determine at which point in the Minnesota game the Aussie will take the field, with it looking most likely his debut will come in the first quarter at $1.25.

NRL COMMUNITY WRAPPED

IN their usual style, Hayne’s wealth of supporters in Australia have shown their appreciation for the ex-rugby league star’s achievement.

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