49ers’ Jarryd Hayne: One of many Australians to play in NFL

The Hopeful

These Aussies still have potential to make a regular season NFL roster. 

Sam Irwin-Hill (2015-Present)

Irwin-Hill is best known for his 51 yard touchdown for Arkansas against Texas A&M in his senior year of college.

That was impressive. Irwin-Hill will have to do more than that to make an NFL roster, however. He was signed by the Colts after going undrafted, but is now looking for a new team.

Jordan Berry (2015-Present)

Berry, currently battling Brad Wing for the Steelers starting punter spot, has perhaps the best chance of any hopeful Australian of making the opening-day roster on an NFL squad — perhaps even better than Jarryd Hayne, though after Sunday I must give Hayne the edge.

Currently Berry and Wing seem neck and neck as each makes a case right when the other appears to be moving ahead in the competition. The only thing the Steelers know for sure is that an Aussie will be handling punts come mid-September when the games finally start to count.

Berry also played Aussie Rules before coming to the United States on a collegiate (American) football scholarship at Eastern Kentucky University. After four years of collegiate football, Berry found himself without an NFL tryout, forcing him to work a graveyard shift flipping burgers at a McDonald’s. He seems to be having a lot more fun now. It will be intriguing to see if he can stick in Pittsburgh. If not, he has shown enough to where other teams will definitely be interested.

Next: The Greatest Hope