Smith: Swaps Sarries for the Jets
Saracens lock Hayden Smith will switch sporting codes after signing a three-year contract to join NFL side New York Jets.
Smith, who has represented the USA Eagles in 18 Tests confirmed that he had workout with the Jets at the start of the year and will play as tight end.
"I've always said that you have to follow your dream," Smith told USA Today Sports.
"It's worked out well for me so far but its without a doubt the biggest step that I'll be taking and it's something that I'm very excited about."
Australian-born Smith moved to the USA to play college basketball in 2002 but soon switched to rugby and made his Test debut in 2008.
He joined Saracens at the start of the 2008/2009 season and played in all four matches for the Eagles' campaign at the World Cup in New Zealand last year.
He has been struggling to cement a place in Saracens senior team due to injuries and the emergence of Steve Borthwick and Mouritz Botha as the Aviva Premiership champions' first-choice lock combination.
Former NFL tight ends coach Tim Brewster, who helped Smith in his bid to join the NFL, was surprised how easily the 26-year-old adapted to his new sport.
"I was really amazed at a couple of things," explained Brewster.
"First, his ability to assimilate all the information I was throwing at him.
"Football makes sense to the kid. Second, his work ethic off the charts. He's a way above average athlete for the position. I think the kid has an outstanding future in the National Football League," he added.
Comments
APV1 says...
@ chocol8thunda - I think that it's possible to teach someone almost anything through repetition and reward. Just consider Pavlov's dog - I know NFL players aren't dogs (see andy021's apology), but the fact remains. My son's goldfish (which is obviously more inteligent than me), knows to come to the surface of the tank when the light comes on. So to try to convince people that NFL players are intelligent because they, "...know countless plays/formations, read offenses/defenses and react in split seconds." is unlikely to work.
;-)
Bibo ergo sum.
Posted 15:53 10th April 2012
5Lock4ward says...
@jonesy2, I don't recall Todd Clever exploding when being hit by a Maori, South African or Australian player when playing Super rugby, Currie Cup or against the BI Lions. What a dumb comment that they're all soft and fat. How do you explain American domination at the Olympics in basically every relevant sport then?
Posted 15:11 10th April 2012
jonesy2 says...
and what the hell is a tight end? sounds dodgy.
DutchWing- the yanks have actually been brainwashed into enjoying and celebrating the commercials! amazing huh. if we are going to compare football codes then im afraid AFL football is the most dynamic and has the highest calibre of athletes.
US good at rugby when? what? ill believe it when i see it, in the meantime ill just assume that all american athletes are either soft or fat. i would love to see an NFL player in a rugby game just at the shear fact that their mind and body would explode when a big maori fella tackles them or a mad south african clears them out in a ruck.
Posted 09:37 10th April 2012
jonesy2 says...
rugger1010--- it is impressive but this sort of thing happens a fair bit in aus. all seriousness. AFL players go and play NFL, basketballers play AFL, league players (hunt, folau) play AFL, young cricketers play AFL and vice versa.
as for the rugby NFL debate, just stop it, so pointless.
Posted 09:22 10th April 2012
andy021 says...
Who cares what the U.S thinks? Have you seen the people that live there? It's like a penal colony for the mentaly inept. Or a support group for those recovering from head injuries. Or a cult led by a golden retriever. No offense ... To golden retrievers.
Posted 19:18 08th April 2012
chocol8thunda says...
@ginger the NFL player has to know countless plays/formations, read offenses/defenses and react in split seconds. I've watched countless rugby games, which to the layman are boring, to me they're not. Like I said, once you understand the game and it's nuances, most games are very interesting, same as NFL. who listens to Rhianna or that other goof you mentioned? lol
Both games takes great athleticism, smarts and physical strength. Why rugby fans hate the NFL so much is beyond me. Rugby could learn a lot from the NFL, especially how to run a league.
Posted 18:30 08th April 2012
gingergenius says...
Deciding whether rugby or NFL are better sports is like deciding whether Rihanna or Damon Albarn are better musicians. There's an obvious answer, but it's subjective and there's no accounting for taste.
What there is to debate with are facts:
A rugby player copes with less forceful hits, but he wears no protection, and is involved in countless collisions, non-stop over the course of 80 minutes. He must also be fast, agile, strong, have a deep techincal knowledge and an extensive skillset and the ability to think on his feet.
An American football player is an athlete conditioned to be a sprinter/ fat fuck. He requires no stamina, and all his thinking is done for him by his coach. He is a pawn in a chess game.
It's like comparing Tolkien with Blyghton, da Vinci with Emin, Green Wing with Scrubs. So fucking obvious. But, as I said, there's no accounting for taste.
Posted 13:13 07th April 2012
5Lock4ward says...
@chocol8thunda, Matt Dunning (Wallaby prop) drop goal available on youtube. I don't have to youtube your guys I get them shoved down my throat on sportscenter, same for the combine. We do however agree that when the US catches on to rugby it will dominate the global game.
@golden_statenba, I'm a Sabres fan but now that they're out I'll cheer for the Rangers.
Posted 01:38 07th April 2012
chocol8thunda says...
how about those CANUCKS!!!!!!! lets just hope we don't riot this year!!! lol Gotta say, hockey, the real hockey, not field hockey (only girls play it here in Canada or if your Pakistani) is I would say the hardest sport to master. Firstly you gotta learn to skate while being hit and moving incredibly fast. Then with a stick move a puck around. Need insane cardio and strength. Playoffs are right around the corner. Would be crazy if it was the Canucks vs Rangers Stanley Cup final, rematch of the one you beat us in game seven and we rioted. lol Serious shit up here!!! lol
Back to rugby. Thing is Americans only really care about what they're good at. Look at their soccer team. No one really cared till they got good. With the induction of 7s to the Olympics, Americans will see the free flowing nature of it. The 15 aside game will get a boost. If a league modelled on the NFL style, conferances, playoffs, profit sharing, salary cap, draft etc and player could make a decent living, say $100k USD per year for the minimum salary, athletes who didn't get drafted to the NFL, around 15,000 would cross over. In time athletes would simply only focus on rugby. I mean nowhere has a better infrastructure for sport than the US. Play the season when the NFL isn't running; in the summer.
A RWC needs to be hosted in the US too. They wanna spread the game, N.America is it. They should also have the winners of the Heini vs Super 15 champ and have a best of 3 played in N.America. Until the game is really embraced over here, it won't ever really grow. So why not show case the best club teams?
I'm stoked to watch Canada vs Georgia in June in Vancouver. The RWC11 pool game was really good. I'm glad the IRB has gone back to the tour format.
Posted 16:58 06th April 2012
golden_statenba says...
@5Lock4ward
The NFL serves its' function in my life which is giving me something to do on an otherwise boring sunday afternoon in the fall before the NHL season begins.
How bout those Rangers!
Posted 13:39 06th April 2012
Museite says...
@chocol8thunda - Spot on, mate. Can't agree more.
These NFL v Rugby arguments always pretty much follow the exact same thought process. At the end of the day it's blah blah blah. The NFL is a fine sport and so is rugby.
Good luck to Hayden. The odds are against him making the final squad but if he does and is successful the financial rewards are astonishing.
Posted 10:37 06th April 2012
golden_statenba says...
@5Lock4ward
All good.
Compering sports is silly people like what they like. Put Lebron James on a rugby field. He is 6-8 / 2.03 and 250 lbs. / 113.4 kg Jonah was 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) and 125 kg (276 lb; 19 st 10 lb both huge guys but Jonah is going to be crap at bball and Lebron at rugby. Fact is there conditioning is so different.
Dutch wing says they all come from the same sport yes they do but Rugby and NFL are like checkers and chess As for the shot put comment WTF????
Agree that if the USA did care about rugby they would take over the world
Posted 10:27 06th April 2012
5Lock4ward says...
@golden_statenba, I guess we'll agree to disagree, but well played on the crack about my not enjoying watching fat men dance. I laughed out loud. The NFL serves its' function in my life which is giving me something to do on an otherwise boring sunday afternoon in the fall before the NHL season begins. Also I'd like to agree with the person who said that if rugby ever caught on in the USA we'd be RWC champs in 1 generation. That is the dream I hold on to.
Posted 23:19 05th April 2012
chocol8thunda says...
@l5lock4ward when has prop ever kicked for goal? when has a fly half ever packed down in a scrum? Obese men? ever heard of the combine? check it out. These guys are put through the paces. you make it sound like every rugger plays like DC and hits like Shalke. lol
A Tight End lines up on the offensive line. He can block but also recieve. He can be moved around. The new genration of TEs are fast, mobile and have incredible hands. youtube Rob Gronkowski or Antonio Gates.
@rugger1010 couldn't agree more, what a specimen, although I think he's gonna need to add about 30 pounds. best of luck to him
I wonder if cricket fans and baseball fans have this argument? lol Cricket is easily the hardest sport to understand. Soccer is boring as fuck. 90 minutes for 15 seconds of real action, not to mention the diving.
Seems all you Euros and JAFAs are hell bent on proving rugby dominance over the NFL. You simply don't like what you can't understand. I personally love both. Die hard eagles fan and Cymru Am Byth. I appreciate both for what they are. I like watching skilled athletes do skilled things, I enjoy the nuances of each. I true sports fan wold see and recognize that both are amzing to watch; once you know the rules and nuances.
Finally, I think a lot of the rugby fans that despise NFL do because it's American. Your heads will explode the day that USA decides to really care about rugby and become the best team in the world. It will start with 7s, that in the Olympics will plant the seed. Once you can make a living in the US at rugby, it will explode.
I just wish we had better coverage of rugby in Vancouver BC. If any of you know, please tell me. websites, pubs showing games, tv channels etc.
Posted 17:24 05th April 2012
5Lock4ward says...
Well said Dutch Wing! @Hayj05, That's the same program I made reference to and your point about a club level rugby player vs. an NFL pro is spot on.
Posted 12:43 05th April 2012
APV1 says...
Just let me give you two words, which I think might counter the , "...of course they hit harder in gridiron, they wear pads so don't have to worry about themselves so much!" argument:
Mad
Dog
Posted 10:10 05th April 2012
golden_statenba says...
@hayj05
Agree and the conditioning for both is totally different
Posted 08:48 05th April 2012
golden_statenba says...
@5Lock4ward let me break it down
" I find the NFL to be boring"
Don't watch it forget about it don't talk about it.Out of site out of mind.
"I personally don't enjoy watching fat men dance"
I find that very hard to believe
"There was a sports science show which did a direct comparison and found the sports even in regards to impact severity. Not to mention that every player in the NFL is one dimensional. Big deal Reggie Bush is in great shape. Can he pass while moving? Can he make a tackle after he fumbles the ball (again)? Can he kick for territory? No sir, he cannot and nor can anyone else in the NFL. In rugby does the other team get a penalty when a tackler brushes the head of a fly-half with his finger-tips? No sir they do not. Inferior; just like I said."
Back to my quote "The only people you will hear saying rugby is better blah blah are bent up rugby fans as most die hard NFL fans don't know what the hell rugby is"
Anyway both sports in my opinion have parts that I like and dislike hence why I watch both.
Posted 08:20 05th April 2012
GoWalesGo says...
Just so you guys know, he's taking a pay cut to do this
Posted 08:06 05th April 2012
hayj05 says...
I'm a fan of both sports & you're right in saying they're nothing alike. You often hear people say things like NFL players are stronger & hit harder & thats true. But that's because of the sport. They wear pads so they don't need to worry so much about self preservation & they only work in short bursts so that can bulk up like the hulk & throw a few steroids in there because the drug regulations aren't that tight. With Rugby people say the players aren't as physically strong but are much more fit, which is true. Rugby players need a balance between physical strength & fitness. They're moving non stop for 80 mins, so they require a high level of aerobic fitness.
It's not like NFL players are the only ones that can bulk up & it's not like Rugby players are the only ones that can be super fit, it's just what the sport requires. So it really is a stupid argument for justifying what sport is better. It's all about personal opinion.
BTW did anyone see the Sports science NFL vs Rugby. These guys are apparently scientist but it is an incredibly bias test. First of all they've got a pro NFL athlete up against a semi pro Rugby player from the US & secondly the Rugby player has to tackle a moving player while the NFL plaer gets to run full tilt at a stationary dummy. Seriously it's a joke. It's obvious that NFL players hit harder but im sure a fully pro Rugby player getting to run at a dummy would put up a much better showing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7tGY-VDx3o
Posted 03:20 05th April 2012