Tomsula tamps down hype on Hayne
Coach just wants former rugby star to keep improving
SANTA CLARA — Encore, encore! Coach Jim Tomsula, like most 49ers fans, is looking forward to Jarryd Hayne’s next act after a spotlight-seizing debut in the exhibition opener.
Hayne, a 27-year-old former Australian rugbyleague MVP, hasn’t yet assured himself a roster spot.
“We’re definitely looking for the growth from Week 1 to Week 2, and then (Weeks) 2 to 3,” Tomsula said Sunday on a media conference call. “After Week 3, you’ve got an idea where it is, and you’re running out of time.”
Then again, Tomsula had an idea how much of a playmaker Hayne can be, having studied rugbyleague highlights before Hayne signed in March to launch a football career.
“I guess I’m not as shocked that Jarryd was able to field punts and run, or field kicks and run, or that Jarryd was able to see creases and take them and get into the open field and avoid (defenders),” Tomsula said. “I’ve seen him do all those things.”
What Hayne did in Saturday’s 23-10 loss to the host Houston Texans was race into the open field on a 53-yard run and aggressively return two punts and a kickoff.
“The things we’ve got to stay on, when you get into those tighter quarters and see those little creases, that’s where he needs to keep working. Not that he’s bad at it. He’s not,” Tomsula said.
Hayne has attracted more attention than any rookie this training camp, and his teammates often have been asked questions about him, as was the case Saturday with three members of the Australian media present at NRG Stadium.
“We don’t need to put undue expectations on Jarryd,” Tomsula cautioned. “It’s unnecessary to put that on his plate right now. I just want him to stay focused on getting better. The guy’s a world-class athlete.”
Third down doomed n the 49ers on both sides of the ball. Their offense converted only once on nine third-down plays, and the defense allowed the Texans to convert on 9 of 17 attempts.
“Offensively and defensively, later part of the third (quarter), we looked like popcorn,” Tomsula said. “We were popping all over the place. Instead of one continuous pop, it was pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.
“You can’t play team offense or team defense, or you can’t play at all that way. It’s got to be in unison. That speaks to me on needing to get those guys to jell together.”
Tomsula liked how n well center Joe Looney and right guard Marcus Martin played next to each other on the starting unit. That won’t prevent the 49ers from experimenting with other combinations, including Martin at center and Brandon Thomas at right guard. “We’re thinking those things through,” Tomsula said. “Who starts and who doesn’t, for me, right now, it’s not a big deal.”
First-round draft pick n Arik Armstead had mixed results in his debut, and a fourth-quarter play symbolized that, as Tomsula was encouraged by the rookie defensivetackle’s awareness of a screen pass. Armstead, however, got called for holding. “He’s got some power to him, he’s got length, he can bend, and he knows how to use his leverage,” Tomsula said.
Defensive tackle Lawrence n Okoye won praise for his consistency in attacking the pocket, which was a far cry from two years ago when he made his foray into football after an Olympic discus career.
“You remember that first year he was here. My god, I didn’t want to put him in a game,” recalled Tomsula, previously the defensive line coach. “The last preseason game we got him a few reps. I was worried he’d get busted up.”
Linebacker Nick Bellore n is improving from an undisclosed illness, and Tomsula is optimistic that Bellore will come off the non-football-injury list this week.
Linebacker Michael n Wilhoite, who’s also on the NFI list, will undergo an MRI on his leg strain before being cleared for action in training camp.
Tomsula said rookie n quarterback Dylan Thompson wasn’t solely to blame for a rough debut, which included an interception on his final pass and three sacks (one for a safety). “There’s a surrounding cast that needs to be in the right place at the right time,” Tomsula said.
Linebacker Desmond n Bishop strained a calf but “sounded great” when Tomsula said he checked on him during the flight home.