FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- In the middle of his first practice with the New York Jets -- in fact, the first football practice of his life -- Hayden Smith paused to say he was sorry.

The 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end apologized to free-agent punter Travis Baltz after running into him during an overzealous moment in a noncontact, special-teams drill Friday in the Jets' rookie minicamp -- a no-no that drew an immediate penalty flag.

"That was 'Play on' in rugby," Smith said later with a sheepish smile.

The NFL is a long way from the Saracens Football Club, Smith's rugby team in England.

Smith, 27, a native Australian who ascended to the highest levels of international rugby, walked away from the sport he dominated to give American football a try. He signed with the Jets on April 3, and there he was Friday, wearing No. 82, running pass routes and learning the basics of the sport.

Hayden Smith is learning the nuances of American football, including the deep playbook and wearing a helmet. Rich Cimini/ESPNNewYork.com

A rookie minicamp can be a head-spinning experience, even for those who have played the game since they were 8 years old in Pop Warner, so imagine what it felt like for Smith.

He can forget about scrums and rucks; he needs to concentrate on blitz recognition, hot routes and combination blocks.

Smith went from a sport of hard knocks to a team known for "Hard Knocks," the reality TV show. He never played organized football, so everything was a first on Day 1. The mundane task of putting on his helmet became a big deal. Rugby players, as you know, have no protection.

"The helmet, I guess, becomes like a second skin," said Smith, adding that he adjusted to it quicker than he anticipated. "I'm sure some of my rugby mates would be having a real laugh if they saw me with a helmet on."

After a pause, he added, "It's quite cool."

Smith is built solidly, runs the 40 in 4.7 seconds and displays natural hand-eye coordination, probably a product of his basketball-playing days. Before taking up rugby, he played basketball at Metropolitan State, a Division II school in Denver.

Every team is looking for the next Antonio Gates, trying to mold a non-football-playing project into a star tight end.

"It's crazy to think this guy never put on a helmet before today, never ran a route, never did anything like that," coach Rex Ryan said. "When he's out there, could you really tell that?"

Ryan shrugged his shoulders, as if to say you couldn't tell he was a football neophyte.

"He certainly looks the part," he said, adding, "I would not bet against this young man."

There have been seven Australian-born players in NFL history, according to databaseFootball.com, but only one non-kicker -- defensive tackle Colin Scotts, who played only seven games with the San Diego Chargers in 1987. But he played college ball at Hawaii; Smith is starting from ground zero.

"It's always been a dream of mine," said Smith, who grew up watching the NFL.

Smith said it was "quite overwhelming at first" when he received his playbook and started studying the Jets' offense. Tight ends coach Mike Devlin tried a novel approach, asking Smith to supply popular rugby terms. That way, Devlin figured, he'd be able to teach him the football equivalent.

That was the hope, anyway.