La Jolla, San Diego: This is the beachside southern California town where Jarryd Hayne's American dream came to life.
In the picturesque La Jolla just north of San Diego, Hayne went to work last November in preparation for his practice day, spending three weeks at US agent Jack Bechta's house and his nearby condo at Mission Beach getting ready for the biggest two hours of his life.
One chance was all he had.
One opportunity to prove to the dozen or so scouts that had travelled from around the United States to see him, that his sacrifice was an act of bravery, not foolery.
"He was a little bigger than they thought," Bechta said of the scouts' initial reaction. "He caught the ball really comfortably they were really amazed at how easily he caught punts. They kept using the word 'natural', a natural punt returner. Everyone was positive. I never really had any negative feedback."
A deal with the Detroit Lions was all but done but at the 11th hour the San Francisco 49ers came in with a $100,000 offer that would see him begin his NFL pursuit in the Bay area.
Three weeks have passed since Hayne's 49ers induction.
His new teammates have sung his praises, but Hayne still has many questioning whether he can make the 49ers 53-man roster.
But not his manager, who genuinely believes the 27-year-old isn't merely making up numbers on the 90-man squad, earmarking the San Francisco No.38 to deliver on the big stage.
"I think he can do anything," Bechta said. "I think he can have a career. I think he can have a five-year-plus career. I think he can keep getting better and making a bigger, bigger impact every single year. He may even single-handedly change the way some teams play special teams against him.
"Skill set is so geared towards special teams as a returner or cover guy, I think he'll have an instant impact there. It's yet to be seen how it will manifest itself but I'm excited to see it unfold."
Doubts over Hayne's physical condition were raised after photos surfaced from a pre-season camp in Arizona last month, in which Hayne and his teammates posed shirtless.
There was a noticeable difference between Hayne's figure and the chiselled bodies of his teammates. But Bechta insists Hayne's physicality is his strength, admitting it was his mental ability to adapt to the unfamiliar sport that would present the biggest challenge.
"Physically he's as gifted if not more gifted than most ... if he would have went to the combine and competed against all those running backs he would have came out in the top 10 percentile of that whole group," Bechta said.
"It's not going to be physically he struggles, it will be the mental speed of the game and remembering a huge playbook and executing perfectly.
"It's a new type of training for Jarryd. He did mention it was tough. He said it was challenging. But he likes it and just the noise coming out of the team and other players is all very positive. No one has used the word struggling or failing or anything like that. I think he's getting along pretty well. I've not heard any complaints."
The uneducated have suggested Hayne was picked up as a publicity stunt a marketing tool to help invade the Australian market. But the NFL, more than any other sport in the world, is a results-driven business especially for 49ers general manager Trent Baalke.
"Trent Baalke is the kind of guy who signs footballers," Bechta said. "He's not there collecting art. He wants to win. He's not in a position to speculate."
While Bechta backs Hayne's confidence in cracking the NFL this season, he highlighted the significance of showing patience.
"It's very typical for a young player or a first-year player not to play right away," Bechta said. "They're not going to put him on the field if he can hurt himself or the team. One reason we went with the 49ers is because they're patient. If they decide it's best for him to incubate for a year on practice squad we'll have to agree with that.
"Their coaching staff is very patient so if they did that it will be a strategic approach to make sure when he gets on the field he's an asset, not a liability in any shape or form. He'll end up, worse-case scenario for him, he'll be on the 49ers practice squad. I don't see another worst-case scenario for him. Or another team will pick him up."
It's a story that has captured the imagination of millions up and down the Australian eastern seaboard.
Will he make it?
Will he come home?
"Anybody [who] tries to predict what Jarryd Hayne's going to do next is foolish," Bechta said. "The sky is the limit for him. There's only one Jarryd Hayne. There's only one guy who has given up a successful career for another potential career. It's a beautiful story that's unfolding."
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rug...ays-us-agent-jack-bechta-20150428-1mv0i3.html
