Former rugby league player Jarryd Hayne has been named in the San Francisco 49ers 53-man roster for the new NFL season.
The 27-year-old Australian quit rugby league last year, and announced his intention to earn a spot in the NFL.
"I am over the moon. I didn't just wake up and want to be an NFL player one day. It was a long process with a lot of dark days and a lot of joyous days," Hayne told the 49ers' official website.
"I wanted to take a risk, and I wanted to put myself out there. Faith without action is dead. This whole journey, I've never felt so alive."
Hayne spent eight years with the Parramatta Eels, playing over 175 games for the national rugby league side before walking away from the sport.
After impressing in pre-season for the 49ers, he beat practice-squad player Kendall Gaskins to a spot in the running back rotation.
