The Hayne bloody Plane is cranking up some serious speed after a competitive debut to remember for the San Francisco 49ers over the weekend. His 53-metre run has been all over the interwebs and the odds of him securing a permanent contract with the NFL side are falling quicker than Luis Suarez in the penalty box.
And we think we can all learn some lessons from the Sydney lad’s bourgeoning NFL career.
1. Take a risk, when you are stable enough
When Hayne left the $$$ of the NRL for the potential $$$$$$$$$$$ of the NFL – many thought he was a mad man. And well, maybe he was a bit. But all those who achieve greatness arguably have to have a little bit of that. I heard a lot of idiots people say that Hayne was selling out by going to the NFL – clearly these people struggled at school. Rather, he was taking a ridiculous risk. Hayne was set to become the highest paid player in the NRL when he made the NFL announcement. And that is key.
He no doubt had worked hard to make it to the top echelons of rugby league, and I’m sure a nice little pay cheque came with that over his league career. So he could well afford to go over to America and give it a fair shot. Everyone always talks about taking risks – especially with your career – and Hayne took one here that was calculated, with a fall back plan should things not go to plan.
2. Self-belief is crucial when no one gives you a chance
How many people wrote this guy off before he even caught a ball or took a return? Perhaps understandably, there were raised eyebrows galore in the US media, who thought Hayne trialling with SF was all a bit of a PR circus. But strangely, a lot of Australians also condemned his chances of making it big in NFL.
But no one believes in Jarryd Hayne more than the man himself. From the stories of him reading NFL plays and runs in the plane over to America, to the extra training work and gym sessions; Hayne has never had a shift in attitude and his determination to make it in the NFL is pure passion and drive.
3. Back yourself
Once you believe in yourself it’s time to back it up. Do things that are going to make other people believe in you. The first thing Hayne did was buy a pigskin ball from Target when he touched down in America, and started learning plays. He has bulked up big time, has always been learning, and turned that belief into a bit of action on the weekend.
4. Don’t lose sight of those who made you
Jarryd Hayne was one of the stars in NSW’s eight-year Origin hoodoo break last year. His performance on the rep stage was killer and he owed a lot to his teammates as well. During the Origin series this year, with the series poised at 1-all, Hayne flew into Brisbane for the decider, paid for his own accommodation at the NSW team hotel and was with them in the sheds.
On top of that he organised a dinner for all the Sydney-based Origin players in the lead up to the match, and is known for being quite the family man. There will always be people you owe a moral debt to in your life or career – so treasure them. They are the ones who made you, are invested in you and the ones that will support you regardless of what happens in your pursuit for greatness.
5. Never buy into the hype
Hype is all that is being associated with Hayne at the moment, and fair enough. But this is just the start for him. The ultimate fact is that he is still a trialist who could end up with no contract in a few months. It’s a little win for the former NSW fullback, but now he has to push on.
So often we can get caught up in little wins, head in the clouds etc. And for good reason – hype is something that is so often exciting to be involved with. But if anything the most important period is after that, you have the momentum to succeed but getting to that next level is often what makes or breaks you.
6. If you never ask, answer is always no
Ultimately Hayne put all of his eggs in one basket and now, is making a run for it. He wanted to achieve something unique and if never had the guts to go for it, he probably would have always been pondering the proverbial ‘what if?’
So when the time is right, you’ve analysed all the positives and negatives, just go for it. You’ll be hating yourself if you don’t.
Img: Sportal.com.au