"It's massive."
That's how Jarryd Hayne described the rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
And it's not just from hearsay in the 49ers locker room. The rookie running back has seen the animosity first hand.
Last season, before Hayne decided to sign with San Francisco, he saw the Seahawks play at CenturyLink Field. During the game, the score of that week's 49ers game was shown on the video board. With San Francisco losing, the Seattle crowd erupted in cheers.
That told Hayne all he needed to know about how the NFC West foes feel about each other.
"I was like, 'Wow. That's pretty intense,'" Hayne said. "I think that's how strong the rivalry is."
In four days, Hayne will get to experience his first taste of the San Francisco-Seattle rivalry. For the second consecutive season, the 49ers will host the Seahawks on a Thursday night.
"That's something I'm definitely looking forward to," Hayne said. "We all know it's a big division game and our biggest rival."
In the 49ers Week 6 win against the Baltimore Ravens, Hayne went without an offensive touch and returned just one punt for four yards. On the return the rookie fumbled, which was luckily recovered by 49ers cornerback Dontae Johnson.
Hayne recapped his performance postgame.
"I was obviously devastated with the fumble," Hayne said. "We always talk about that, the most dangerous man is the man you don't see. I'm sure I'll be asked about that during the week. For me, I thought that behind me was clear so I went for a little bit extra.
"I knew if I beat that one guy and the other guys wasn't behind me, it was just me and the punter. We always talk about making plays on special teams, and it's one of those things that you learn from. The most important thing is taking care of the ball."
The lack of work offensively isn't an indication of how the 49ers feel about him as a running back. With Pierre Garçon and Reggie Bush out of practice for the bulk of last week, it was Hayne and fellow rookie Mike Davis who assumed all of the first-team reps.
"Me and Mike did a lot of work," Hayne said. "It helped us out a little bit. We definitely had a lot more reps. … We got some great work in. It's just getting used to it. Getting reps with the starters, building camaraderie and getting a feel for it."
