Thomas McGaughey Jr can't wait to see Jarryd Hayne get hit in the face or blindsided by a missile-like tackle from a linebacker.
McGaughey, the San Francisco 49ers special teams co-ordinator, isn't a sadist.
He isn't anti-Australian.
In fact, McGaughey is as experienced as any at attempting to turn Australians into American football players after coaching young Victorian punters Brad Wing and Jamie Keehn at Louisiana State University.
When it comes down to deciding if the 27-year-old from Sydney makes the 49ers' 53-man roster, McGaughey's opinion will be one of the most influential.
That's why he wants to see how Hayne responds to getting smashed.
"I have to see how he reacts," McGaughey told reporters on Wednesday.
"I want to see him get hit in the face.
"I want to see him get blindsided."
The 49ers have 90 players on their roster and will cut it to 53 on September 5.
Hayne has been training as a running back, but also proving himself as a punt returner on McGaughey's special teams unit will be his best shot at making the 53.
McGaughey knows rugby league is a tough sport, but points out players don't wear helmets.
"Therein lies the difference," McGaughey, comparing NRL to NFL, said.
"When you don't see a guy coming from the side and you get blindsided and it's a helmet underneath your chin as opposed to just maybe a forearm or blunt object, it's a little different."
Hayne did impress the 49ers' coaching staff with Tuesday's first contact practice in pads and helmets.
Hayne laughed as he recalled going helmet-to-helmet with feared linebacker Nick Moody in a drill and said he woke up Wednesday morning with a sore neck.
"Getting hit by Moody shakes you around a bit," Hayne, who successfully stopped the linebacker, said.
The experience with pads and a helmet did open Hayne's eyes to the difference in hits between the NRL and NFL.
"The biggest difference is wearing a helmet and shoulder pads you go a lot harder into tackles," Hayne said.
"There's a lot more force."
The 49ers' leader, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, is also a fan of Hayne's natural talent and is interested in watching if the Australian can earn a spot on the team.
Kaepernick and Hayne feature on a video clip on the 49ers.com website playing an intense game of table tennis, with Hayne victorious.
With just weeks to go until the NFL season Kaepernick said there's no more table tennis.
"We had some good competitions in the spring, but it's football time now," Kaepernick laughed.
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