Jarryd Hayne Makes San Francisco 49ers' 53-Man Roster

San Francisco 49ers preseason sensation Jarryd Hayne will get a chance to show his skills in real games, as the former rugby star from Australia has made the team's 53-man roster.

Hayne made the announcement through his personal Twitter account:

Earlier in the week, during an interview with KNBR radio (via 49ers reporter Cam Inman and the Dallas Sun-Times' Kevin O'Brien), 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula disputed an Australian media report that Hayne had already been informed of his spot on San Francisco's final roster.

"I don't know what the rules are in the media in Australia, but you might want to fact-check," Tomsula said. "The 53 is not set."

While Tomsula's statement at the time was certainly true, it was obvious throughout the preseason that Hayne was playing himself into favor with the 49ers.

The 27-year-old had 120 all-purpose yards against Houston on August 16, made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch on a punt and returned it 27 yards against Dallas, and steamrolled a San Diego defender on a screen play Sept. 3.

While those are just brief moments in games that don't count, Hayne was clearly one of San Francisco's most dynamic weapons when he stepped on the field.

Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network weighed in on Hayne's potential impact on the league's worldwide perception:

The 49ers desperately needed something positive to happen this preseason after a brutal offseason that saw Jim Harbaugh depart as head coach, Chris Borland, Patrick Willis and Justin Smith retire, and Aldon Smith released.

Hayne's role with San Francisco will surely evolve as the season goes on and he gets more acclimated to the speed of NFL defenses, but his first test was to make the roster. He passed with flying colors.