Aussie star quitting rugby league for shot at NFL

Jarryd Hayne is attempting to make the jump from rugby to the NFL. (USATSI)

National Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne is quitting rugby to make a run at a career in the NFL he announced Wednesday morning.

Hayne posted an announcement on the Parramatta Eels website announcing his decision to "take a crack in the NFL."

"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,” Hayne said. “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."

Hayne also signed a "lifetime agreement" with the Eels -- who are getting a lot of publicity out of this! -- so if this whole NFL thing doesn't work out, he can't play elsewhere.

So will the rugby star make it in professional football in America? The Guardian describes him as "big, strong, fast and flamboyant" which are apparently "required in equal parts" to play in the NFL.

Certainly the first three anyway.

Based on highlights (and apologies in advance for the music involved below) it's hard to say exactly what position Hayne would play in the NFL, although he told the Associated Press he sees himself as a kick or punt returner.

Makes reasonable sense given the acceleration to the edge he flashes:

Hayne could probably handle kickoffs too if he can tackle in pads reasonably close to the way he tackles in the open field.

"I believe I have the speed, I'm a quick learner, I feel things out really quickly," Hayne said. "I have no doubt it's going to be tough. Ultimately it's a 12-month plan, going over there and trying to make a train-on team. For me to do that I need to start preparing for that around January or February."

Hayne says he's spoken with Lions running back and general playmaker Reggie Bush about making it in the NFL.

"I actually spoke to Reggie Bush in depth about it when he was over here," he told Fairfax in July. "We were talking about different plays, what Detroit was like, what Miami was like and New Orleans was like. It interests me."

Hayne's dream is a longshot, mainly because of the difficulty in adjusting to the game once he gets to America. But never say never, especially when you're talking about a high-level athlete.

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