Judge Jarryd Hayne’s NFL dream on work ethic not age, says former star Terrell Owens

FORMER NFL star Terrell Owens believes Jarryd Hayne will be judged on his ability and work ethic — not his birth certificate.

FORMER NFL star Terrell Owens believes Jarryd Hayne will be judged on his ability and work ethic — not his birth certificate.

Since Hayne made his decision to quit Parramatta in pursuit of his NFL dream, many questions have been raised over Hayne’s age.

Hayne turned 27 in two weeks and is still waiting for visa and paperwork issues to be resolved before he can return to the States and take up what is believed to be a futures contract with the Detroit Lions.

“We took the Ferrari @jarrydhayne_1 out of the garage today, boy it was dusty but after we cleaned it we moved PURE”

Owens, who spent 15 seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals as a wide receiver, said Hayne should be lauded for having the courage to leave the sport which made him a house hold name in pursuit of realising his dream.

“For me I don’t really look at age as an issue,” Owens told Foxsports.com.au.

“I’m 41 and I know I could still play … If you can go out there and play, if your 57, if you can play with the best of the best, then there should be a spot for you. Age is not a number, age is just a word.

Former NFL star Terrell Owens is in Melbourne to host a Superbowl party. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

“I’m always going to give someone the benefit of the doubt. That’s what we as Americans are about sometimes, we give opportunities. And obviously the Detroit Lions have shown some interest in him, so if he can go out and show what he can do when it matters, then that will work out for him.”

Owens made six Pro-Bowl appearances, won the 2004 NFC Championship with the Eagles and ranks second on all-time receiving yardage (15,934) behind only Jerry Rice.

He believes the key for Hayne is nailing down the basics and broadening his knowledge of the game, stressing the importance of having a mentor to teach him blocking and catching skills specific to the role of running back.

Jarryd Hayne arrived back in Sydney.

The Dally M medal winner has dazzled the defence with his fancy footwork, blistering speed and devastating fend but Owens says something that cannot be coached or measured is one of the most important qualities to possess is effort, something Hayne has by the bucket load.

He is also confident Hayne’s background in league can be of assistance due to the sports physicality with minimal protection.

“In terms of being a punt returner or anything like that in the special teams department, obviously change of direction is big and speed is big in our sport,” Owens said.

“So if he has great change of direction and vision, he should bode well.

“In terms of playing running back, the nature and culture of rugby, it’s a very physical sport, you really get in there and get your nose bloody, that type of game, as a running back, that should be right up his alley, to go in there and hit linebackers and get in the mix with some of those big guys.

Jarryd Hayne of Australia breaks away.

“All he has to do is just learn the plays, know what he’s supposed to do and just go out there and play 100 percent.

“He has to get those basics down, if he has somebody that’s coaching him of what it’s like being a running back and what to expect, in terms of blocking and catching the ball too.”

Owens says he is optimistic Jarryd Hayne can make a successful transition to the American brand of football and open the door for others to follow suit.

While a number of Australians have and are currently in the NFL, including Jesse Williams who is a member of the Seattle team preparing for their Super Bowl title defence on Monday, Hayne could be the trail blazer for stars of other sports to defect and help make NFL a world sport.

“That’s a courageous thing for anybody to do, to quit something that you love and challenge yourself to do something out of the box,” Owens said.

Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens catches a pass in the end zone.

“I’m hoping that he’s very successful with this journey. Hopefully he can be a trend-setter for many other athletes that really have the thoughts about switching over or trying something different. But just to have that courage and that confidence to do it, it could really steer other guys in that direction to do it as well.

“Playing in the National Football League and having other guys from other countries play our sport is remarkable. I think it’s good for the sport and for what I’ve known, most of the guys from Australia have been punters, there haven’t really been many position players. So this is a step in the right direction, not only for Jarryd personally, but also for the Australian athletes and I’m glad to see the community is behind him.”

Originally published as Judge Jarryd Hayne’s NFL dream on work ethic not age, says former star Terrell Owens