When Tim Brewster got the call in February, he was not sure what to expect. Sports agent Jack Bechta phoned the longtime football coach to ask him if he would be willing to train one of his new clients.
Bechta explained this client was a rugby player interested in playing football and Brewster had met him years before: Hayden Smith.
When Brewster heard the name he remembered an Australian basketball player at Metro State in Denver when Brewster was a Broncos assistant. Smith was a gangly 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds when Brewster first met him. So when he got off the plane in San Diego to work with Smith and saw him, he was shocked.
“I said, ‘Wow, this kid is an absolute physical specimen,’ ” Brewster, a college football analyst for Fox Sports, said. “He’s 6-foot-6. He’s 265 pounds. He doesn’t have an ounce of fat on his body. He’s very athletic.”
Brewster spent a week in California working with Smith, an aspiring tight end, doing drills and classroom work to teach him football. This week, the Jets agreed to a three-year contract with Smith, taking a chance that Brewster’s pupil can turn into an NFL player.
“Based on my being with the kid for a week and knowing what I know, there’s zero reason why he’s not going to play for the New York Jets,” Brewster said. “He could be an outstanding player in the National Football League.”
Brewster has spent five years as an NFL assistant and was most recently the head coach at the University of Minnesota. He is credited with helping Antonio Gates transform from basketball player to Pro Bowl tight end during his time with the Chargers.
Smith presented Brewster with an interesting challenge. The Australian became a rugby player after his college days, playing first for the U.S. national team and then professionally in England.
Brewster put him through two practice sessions per day in San Diego, running routes and catching passes from Chiefs quarterback Ricky Stanzi. He also had daily weight-training sessions and then classroom time at night when Brewster would test Smith.
“I threw a ton of stuff at this kid,” Brewster said. “What immediately got my attention is he’s a one-time learner. He gets it. Football makes sense to the kid. He was able to carry what I taught him in the classroom setting to the field. That’s a great indicator of a guy’s ability to intellectually handle what you’re trying to get done.”
As for Smith’s toughness, Brewster said you can’t question someone who has played rugby on an elite level. Smith can take a hit. Brewster said he spoke with the Redskins, Eagles and Cowboys about Smith before he signed with the Jets.
“All those people wanted Hayden,” Brewster said. “But the Jets stepped up and he felt really good about [head coach] Rex Ryan. He loved his meetings with Rex Ryan. He loved his attitude, his temperament. He really felt like he connected with Rex Ryan.”
There will be some growing pains, Brewster acknowledges. Getting used to the tempo of the game will be difficult. But Brewster said he believes Smith has the ability and desire to be on the Jets’ roster when the season begins in September.
“It’s not going to happen overnight for him,” Brewster said. “I would love to coach the kid. He’s got every single tool that you’re looking for in a National Football League tight end — excellent hands, the big body. I really feel like this guy has a chance to be a true three-down tight end in the National Football League.”