HOUSTON – Rookies, welcome to the league.
Nearly two dozen members of the San Francisco 49ers were able to play their first snaps in the National Football League on Saturday night.
Preseason or not, it was a valuable experience for many young players, including Australian rugby league star Jarryd Hayne, who became a Twitter trending topic (in San Francisco and his home country) after a 53-yard carry in the first half of a 17-10 loss to the Houston Texans.
Big plays, a key defensive stand and notable playing time on special teams were some of the highlights of the preseason Week 1 matchup.