Jarryd Hayne quits NRL, Eels for NFL

Jarryd Hayne has dropped a bombshell on the NRL, confirming he is quitting rugby league to pursue a career in American football. Hayne has not signed a contract with an NFL franchise, but believes he has the talent and speed to make it in the game. Hayne only recently returned from a trip to Seattle where he looked over the set-up at the city's NFL champions, the Seahawks. The dual Dally M medallist told a media conference that rugby league was no longer providing the challenge that he yearned as an athlete. “I didn’t feel that rugby league was challenging me to the point where I am going to be challenged,” Hayne said. “Realistically I should have made it (the decision) 12 months ago but I didn’t have the courage.” Hayne also spoke of the difficulty he had telling his Parramatta Eels teammates and coach Brad Arthur. “Telling them was really hard but they know my passion and my desire to always challenge myself,” Hayne said. “The hardest conversation I thought was going to be with Brad (Eels coach Brad Arthur) and for him to understand and accept that the reason I'm going is something that will be incredible.” The Parramatta and NSW fullback, who won the NRL's highest individual accolade this season along with Johnathan Thurston, had earlier released a statement saying it had been a dream of his to play in the NFL. He's agreed a lifetime deal with Parramatta so that, should he return, it will be to the Eels. "For the past 24 months I've been thinking about having a crack in the NFL, and over the last 12 months I've been seriously considering it," Hayne wrote in an open letter to Eels fans on the club website on Wednesday. "Today I can officially announce that I will be heading to the United States to pursue an opportunity to play American football. "I will be withdrawing from the Kangaroos' Four Nations side immediately, and accepting a conditional release from the Eels to make the move overseas. Hayne indicated he has actually stalled his move to the US by one season already. "The reason I didn't make this decision any earlier was because of the part I played in getting (Eels coach) Brad (Arthur) to the club and the way we finished the season. "I felt I owed the club one more year and I gave it everything I could. "It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, and at my age, this is my one and only chance at having a crack at playing there." Describing it as the hardest decision of his life, Hayne added: "I'm excited about the potential opportunities that lie ahead. I've known the deadline has been looming for me to make this call, and I believe the right time is now. "I'm so passionate about the challenge that lies ahead for me, not only as an athlete but more so as a person. "It hasn't been an easy decision for me to leave the Eels, the club's been my home and family since I was 13. The hardest thing about leaving the club is there's stability for the first time in a long time, but I know where my heart lies and I'm following that. "I'm always telling people to chase their dreams and follow their hearts, if I don't live by that I'm not being honest with myself. "I'm leaving knowing that I have signed a lifetime agreement with the Eels, so if I return to the NRL, it will be to Parramatta." Hayne was due to play for Australia in the looming Four Nations but has also withdrawn from that tournament. He won the Brad Fittler Medal along with Ryan Hoffman as NSW player of the series this year as the Blues finally broke their State of Origin series drought. The loss of Hayne is a huge blow for the Eels, who have consistently struggled to make an impact without their star fullback. He will be just the second Australian non-punter to be drafted by an NFL franchise after Jesse Williams was taken in the fifth round by the Seahawks in the 2013 draft. However, a number of Australian rules footballers have forged successful careers as punters in the US. The most notable former AFL player was Geelong fullback Ben Graham who played with the New York Jets, the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions. He played in a Super Bowl with the Cardinals.