It all started with so much promise for former Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne. The Australian made the San Francisco 49er's roster after impressing in the NFL pre-season - but a horrible start to his regular season meant he only had limited chances to show his stuff.
Now though, his NFL dream is over - at least for now.
Hayne will be retiring from the NFL for the moment to pursue another dream - playing for Fiji in sevens rugby in the Rio Olympics. The Fijians will be one of the favourites for a medal in Rio, so it seems suprising that Hayne is leaving it so late to convert.
I am retiring from the NFL because the Fiji Rugby Sevens team reached out to me about the opportunity to join the team for the upcoming Olympics, and I simply could not pass that chance up. The Olympics has been something I have admired since I was a little boy, and it is an opportunity I feel very similar to me joining the NFL.
Hayne has represented both Fiji and Australia in his rugby league career - and hopefully he won't run into the same issues that Quade Cooper faced with his passport and Olympic eligibility.
Whether that means that Hayne will make the Fijian team, or whether his NFL career is over after the Olympics is another thing, but bigger things were expected of him in his second year. He finishes his time in San Francisco with a stat line of 17 carries for 52 yards, with six receptions for 27 yards. He also returned eight punts for 76 yards.
[49ers.com]
