Australian rookie Jarryd Hayne has excited San Francisco 49ers fans early in his second game in the National Football League pre-season, returning three punts for good gains.
Hayne, who was the focus of pre-game television hype, wasted no time in putting his stamp on the home game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday (local time), taking a punt while running backwards over his shoulder and then turning up field for a classy 27-yard return after the opening Cowboys drive.
Proving he's no flash in the pan, the former rugby league star then backed it up with a 34-yard run on the next Dallas punt, only stopped from running the length by Cowboys punter Chris Jones.
When the 27-year-old rookie took his third return for another 23-yard gain one of the TV commentators gushed: "Going to be hard not to put that guy on this football team."
The Cowboys' fourth punt was deliberately guided to the sideline to prevent another return despite the fact Hayne was no longer in the backfield.
Continuing his quest to make the 49ers fulltime roster, Hayne had previously run for 63 yards on five carries at running back and compiled 120 all-purpose yards in week one's 23-10 loss to the Houston Texans.
The highlight was a 53-yard carry in the second quarter that nearly wound up in the end zone.
