Hasty looking to seize upon opportunity
Jamycal Hasty was the hush- hush find at 49ers training camp. His burst was evident, even among a more experienced and accomplished corps of running backs.
“We all see him make the cuts and the explosiveness he has when he touches the rock. It jumps off the field, off the tape,” linebacker Fred Warner said.
Because there were no preseason games, other NFL teams didn’t get to see what Warner and the 49ers saw. All they saw when Hasty hit the waiver wire Sept. 5 was a 5-foot-8 undrafted rookie out of Baylor.
As such, the 49ers were able to put Hasty on their practice squad, stashing him for the inevitable attrition of corps. With Mostert placed on injured reserve Saturday, and Tevin Coleman likely to miss his fifth consecutive game, Hasty’s time has come.
He won’t get the majority of carries when the 49ers (3-3) visit the New England Patriots (2- 3) today. He likely will be deployed as a change- of-pace, second-half reliever for Jerick Mckinnon. But, again, the lack of film on Hasty, will work to the 49ers’ advantage. He’ll be a secret weapon that coach Kyle Shanahan can spring on Bill Belichick’s defense.
“I’ve never modeled my game after anybody,” Hasty said this week. “There are guys I recognize that are good and great at the position. There is not one guy I want to model myself after.
“I try to create my own lane and be the best version of myself as I can be.”
Hasty came on in the fourth quarter last Sunday to close out the 24-16 win over the Rams. He carried the ball nine times for 37 yards — all in the final quarter.
“We didn’t hesitate to put him in there,” Shanahan said. “It took a while until we lost those guys, but then he came in and gave us a little bit of a spark and helped us out.”
When both Coleman and Mostert sustained knee sprains in Week 2, Hasty was summoned for his NFL debut in Week 3 and had two carries (9 yards) against the Giants. He did not flinch when called upon last Sunday to kill the clock against the Rams.
“No nerves,” Hasty said. “Just going out and playing football. Been doing it my whole life. Don’t think too much, go play, have fun and live with the results.”
Mckinnon’s experience and stronger build make him a surefire starter. But he was overworked two games ago, with 21 touches for 97 all-purpose yards, as Shanahan acknowledged.
Enter Hasty. He feels the same way about the 49ers as they feel about him; fortunate..
“Coming out (undrafted), this was the best fit for me in terms what I’m able to do with my skillset and this scheme,” Hasty said. “It was my best fit. And to get coached by a legend in Bobby T (running backs coach Bobby Turner), you can’t pass that up.”