Hayden Smith facts for kids
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| Date of birth | 10 April 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Penrith, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 120 kg (18 st 13 lb; 265 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Blue Mountains Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | MSU Denver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Football career |
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | 10 April 1985 Penrith, NSW, Australia |
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| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Blue Mountains Grammar School (Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Metro State | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hayden Smith, born on April 10, 1985, is a former professional athlete from Australia. He played rugby union for the Saracens team and also for the United States national rugby union team. Hayden also spent two years playing American football as a tight end for the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL).
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Hayden Smith's Early Life
Hayden Smith grew up in Bullaburra, a town in the Blue Mountains area of Australia. He finished school at Blue Mountains Grammar School in 2002. As a teenager, he trained with the Sydney Kings basketball team.
Studying and Playing in the USA
Smith earned a scholarship to study and play sports in the United States. He first studied Finance at the New York Institute of Technology. Later, he moved to the Metropolitan State University of Denver in Colorado. There, he played power forward on the university's basketball team.
Hayden had planned to return to Australia to play professionally for the Kings. However, the team faced financial problems and stopped operating. As he finished his degree at Metro State, and with basketball season over, he started playing rugby union on weekends. He did this to stay fit and active.
Rugby Union Career (2008–2011)
Hayden Smith began playing rugby competitively again in 2008. Within a few weeks, he was playing for the All-American Team. After graduating, he joined the Denver Barbarians rugby club. Soon after joining, he was named a 2008 Rugby All-American.
Joining Saracens
Smith joined the professional English team Saracens for the 2008/09 season. He started with an academy contract. His first game for the academy team, Saracens Storm, was against Newcastle Falcons. His strong performances quickly moved him up to the main team.
Hayden impressed the coaches and earned a full first-team contract. He went on to play 43 matches for Saracens. These games were in both the English Premiership and the Heineken Cup.
Playing for the USA National Team
In international rugby, Smith regularly played for the United States national rugby union team. He qualified to play for the USA because he had lived there for a certain amount of time. His first international game was on November 8, 2008, against Uruguay.
Smith helped the USA team qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. During this major tournament, he started all four group stage matches for the United States. After the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Hayden took a break from rugby.
NFL Career (2012–2013)
After his break from rugby, Smith explored playing American football in the National Football League (NFL). He had tryouts with several NFL teams. These teams included the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and New Orleans Saints.
Playing for the New York Jets
The New York Jets signed Hayden Smith on April 3, 2012. He was later released on August 31, 2012. However, just one day later, he was signed to the Jets' practice squad. On October 27, 2012, he was moved up to the main team roster.
Hayden caught his first and only NFL pass on December 23, 2012. He was released from the team on August 26, 2013.
Return to Rugby (2013–2016)
On December 9, 2013, it was announced that Hayden Smith had signed a new long-term deal with Saracens. In January 2014, Smith played his first professional rugby match for Saracens since leaving the NFL.
Winning with Saracens
Smith started for Saracens in the 2014–15 Anglo-Welsh Cup Final. He helped his team win the game 23–20 against Exeter Chiefs in a very close finish.
Back with the USA Team
Hayden also started playing for the United States national team again in March 2014. These games were qualifying matches for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He also played for the USA in the June 2014 Pacific Nations Cup.
At the end of the 2015-16 season, Smith left Saracens. He then joined Esher, a team in National League 1.
