DENVER – When two players from different teams collide, sincere advice is probably one of the last things you'd expect to hear.
But on Thursday during the San Francisco 49ers second and final joint practice with the Denver Broncos, that's exactly what Jarryd Hayne got from an unspecified defender.
"When I had that run and the safety put a bit extra in, he told me, 'Get low, get low 38,' " Hayne said, smiling. "That was good advice from the boys. I appreciate that."
The Australian import continues to be a curiosity everywhere he goes. This week in the Mile-High City, several Broncos were asked to give their thoughts on Hayne's transition into football.
"You could tell he's real comfortable with the football,'' Broncos linebacker Von Miller said. "He was catching punts … and running. He looks real comfortable. I'd like to think if you could play rugby, you could play football."
"He's a big guy, I know that," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. "I'll tell you, their 'backs in general, I know for us linebacker-wise, we had a tough time covering them (on Wednesday). He's a good-looking player. In this league, everybody is always looking for those type of guys if they can turn into good football players. It sure looks like they're headed in the right direction with that one."
For his part, Hayne has managed to block the outside noise and focus at the task at hand – sticking with the team past the preseason.
"I keep being me. I'm not the one writing articles, that's everyone else," Hayne said. "I know what I'm doing here. My job is to learn football and get up to speed as fast as I can.
"The rest will work out for itself. I've got a lot on my plate, so I'm not worrying about anything else."
Echoing Jim Tomsula's comments from Wednesday, Hayne acknowledged that he still has a lot to prove for his journey to continue into the regular season. When asked by a reporter to describe the moment when he realized he belonged in the NFL, the first-year running back provided an unassuming response.
"Hasn't happened yet. I'm still learning, mate," Hayne said. "I've been training three or four months now, so it's still fresh. I'm learning every day, and making mistakes, and learning from mistakes as well. I think if you get to a point where you're comfortable, you have to be doing it for a long, long time. I haven't."
Hayne has rushed for 117 yards on 13 carries and is averaging 21.6 yards per punt return through the first two preseason games. The rookie said he wants to continue his growth, mostly mentally, in Saturday's tilt against the Broncos.
"Just like every game; go out there and do my job," Hayne said. "Know where I've got to be and what I've got to do."
