The 49ers ask Jarryd Hayne all their weird questions about Australia
The San Francisco 49ers have a new teammate from Australia, and they're using the opportunity as a chance to finally have all their odd questions about the country answered.
Jarryd Hayne quit his career as an Australian rugby star in October to pursue his NFL dream and signed with the 49ers in March. He has a long way to go to make the team's roster, but for now he's working hard at learning the game and fitting in with his new teammates.
The latter includes Hayne fielding all sorts of questions about life down under, including whether Australians are always feeding koalas and what's up with all the country's deadly creatures, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"They were saying they wouldn’t go to Australia because of how many deadly animals there are," Hayne said of his teammates. "I told them, 'That’s only out into the bushlands. You’re not going to be in a hotel and a snake'" is going to be in your room.
"With Australia being so far away as well, there's always a bit of misconception of what it's like from an animal perspective,'' he told reporters. "A couple of the boys, with snakes, lizards, spiders, there have been a whole bunch of questions what Australia's like. I kid around sometimes, kangaroos, koalas, we're always feeding them."
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Hayne also brings myriad Australian expressions to San Francisco that his teammates love, such as "rubbish shot," which he said while recently playing ping pong, according to the Associated Press.
On the field, Hayne said he has had some difficulties figuring out the 49ers' playbook as he adjusts to concepts such as blitzing assignments. Some players use armbands to reference plays during practice and games, but Hayne has his own unique way.
"He folds [a piece of paper] up, puts it right back in his shorts," running back Carlos Hyde told the Chronicle. "... I don’t tease him at all. I clap for him. Do whatever you’ve got to do to make sure you know the plays."
- Molly Geary
