JARRYD Hayne was watching Fox Sports around noon on Thursday when Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman appeared on screen.
Talking about him.
Which wouldve got me fairly excited once, Hayne grins.
But now?
Now, Im not a fan, the NFL wannabe continues. Now I want to compete with him.
Despite already being one of Australias greatest athletes, 26-year-old Hayne is preparing to undergo a major physical transformation to ready himself for the NFL Combine next February.
Apart from shedding up to 10kg from his already streamlined figure, the NSW Origin star will also completely overhaul his gym program while quadrupling the time he spends on sprint technique.
And as for how far can I improve? Thats the thing that excites me, Hayne says. Who knows how much quicker can I get. How much stronger can I get.
Right now, I dont even do specific speed work. Once a fortnight we might spend 15 minutes on something, thats it.
In the US though, Ill be doing speed work three times a week. Ill do more in seven days than I would have over two months playing NRL.
Im going places where, as an athlete, Ive never been before.
While statistics vary on NFL punt returners, the most likely position for Hayne, stars like Atlanta Falcon Devin Hester and Seahawk Percy Harvin tip the scales between 85 and 90 kilos.
Hayne, meanwhile, played the most recent NRL season at 100kg.
So if coaches are wanting me to drop weight, so be it, Hayne continues. If I have to lose five kilos, 10 kilos to make it, then I will.
On Wednesday, the fullback did one of his first new strength workouts in the Eels gymnasium. Afterwards, moving onto a nearby oval with prop forward, and close friend, Tim Mannah for core work.
Asked about the biggest change to his weights program, Hayne laughed: Ive started lifting them.
I honestly havent done a proper weights session in years. Havent needed to because Im playing an endurance sport and always trained accordingly.
So long has he been studying NFL, Hayne still boasts old VHS tapes of Barry Sanders, the retired Detroit running back who he used to learn technique from during his early days at Parramatta.
Barry Sanders absolute freak, Hayne enthuses. But I dont really like to compare myself to guys like Sanders or Marshawn Lynch theyre different builds. Different athletes.
I just need to concentrate and building up for the specific job I need to do.
Certainly he will have competition.
Given no NFL franchise signs player specifically as punt returners, Hayne will have to trial in another position, most likely running back or wide receiver.
At the 2014 NFL Combine, 20 wide receivers ran under 4.5 seconds for the 40-yard dash. On bench press which requires participants to lift 102kg until exhaustion a dozen did more than 16, with the top scorer maxing out at 23.
Among running backs, 10 prospects broke 4.5 seconds with Kent States Dri Archer (4.24) just two hundredths of a second outside the Combine record. In bench press, meanwhile, a dozen finished with more than 20 repetitions. The top mark was 32 presses of the 225pd weight.
So its going to be a challenge, Hayne agrees. But Im not doing this because I think its easy.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ve-core-strength/story-fnp0lyn3-1227094125203
