British discus tosser Lawrence Okoye didn’t play American football in high school, college, or probably even recreationally. But he’s also 6-foot 6-inches and 285 lbs and that’s usually enough.
Okoye, who finished twelfth in the discus at last summer’s Olympics and is also an accomplished rugby player, was invited to a NFL regional combine in Atlanta last week and says he already has five teams interested in his abilities.
“I really stood out because of my size, strength and speed,” Okoye told The Daily Mail. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I was good [at the combine] - to the point that a lot of NFL clubs began talking to me… They all see me as a defensive end, which suits me just fine. I’ve had some meetings since, and done some private workouts with some clubs, too, and already they are talking to me about contracts.”
Okoye originally said he wouldn’t pursue an NFL career until after the 2016 Rio Olympics, but now he apparently intends to sign with a team after this month’s NFL Draft. He’ll attend the super regional combine in Dallas this weekend to give more teams a show of his talent and stature.
“I want to give this my best shot. It’s a rare life opportunity.”