The Seattle Seahawks could be going an unconventional route to find a new player for their 53-man roster. The Seahawks might be looking at Hayden Smith, who has gone off the beaten path and been through multiple sports, and whose next step could be the NFL.
The National Football Post has more, and what's interesting is that basketball was his first sport of choice before moving onto rugby.
Smith went from playing basketball to becoming a rugby star. He is a front liner for the Saracens in the U.K. The 26-year-old is being seriously pursued by four NFL teams now, a process that began in January after the Senior Bowl. Agent Jack Bechta said he hopes to have a deal in place soon even as more teams are curious about seeing Smith.
Brewster spent a week training Smith in San Diego earlier this month before he worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. Previously, Smith has met with the New York Jets twice and he’s also had a workout for the New Orleans Saints. The Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks have expressed interest in bringing Smith in but right now he has a tight schedule with his rugby commitments.
Pete Carroll is known for going out of his way to find the best, and this would definitely be one of his most interesting recruiting trips, even dating back to his days at USC. It could certainly be a very interesting story if it does come to fruition.
It has been a dream of Hayden to play in the league for quite some time.
"To play in the NFL would undoubtedly be the pinnacle of my career," Smith said. "I will do whatever it takes to make my dream a reality."
Here is a profile of Smith for those unfamiliar with him.
(via ten)
To discuss Smith with Seahawks fans, hit up Field Gulls.