British Olympian Lawrence Okoye Reportedly Drawing Interest from NFL Teams

Olympian Lawrence Okoye may have a bright future in discus, but the British athlete is more interested in becoming one of the few players from his country to play in the NFL. 

From Ian Stafford of the Daily Mail:

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British athletics star Lawrence Okoye has revealed his dream to sign for an NFL team and strike it rich as the first sportsman from these shores to become an American football star.

The 21-year-old, who is the British discus record holder, is in the United States being feted by as many as five leading NFL teams after an American football trial in Georgia.

Okoye has a second trial next weekend in Dallas, but having discussed potential contracts and been invited for training sessions with NFL teams, the 6'6", 21-stone athlete is convinced his immediate future lies in gridiron.

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For the record, 21 stones is the equivalent of 294 pounds.

Okoye competed at the 2012 London Games, finishing 12th in the discus. During his training in the States, he saw there was an American football regional combine in Atlanta and signed up.

He told the Daily Mail that NFL teams have been projecting him as a defensive end at the next level.

Okoye noted that he would look to resume his discus-throwing career after his potential NFL career came to a close, saying that many discus throwers hit their prime in their late 20s or 30s.

There's no doubting Okoye's athleticism—he was an excellent rugby player before deciding to focus on the discus—but it isn't easy for athletes who have never played American football to make a quick adjustment to the game.

Still, Okoye has the attention of NFL teams and, if nothing else, will probably be signed as a rookie free agent.

He wouldn't be the first Olympian to make the switch to the NFL. "Bullet Bob" Hayes is the poster child for such athletes, as he not only won a gold medal but is also now in the NFL Hall of Fame. 

That leaves just one obvious question: Is it too soon to start calling him the British Bad Dream?