Jahvid Best Named to Saint Lucia's 2016 Rio Olympics Track and Field Team

Former Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best will compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, as he was named to Saint Lucia's track and field team.

According to Nick Zaccardi and Seth Rubinroit of NBC Olympic Talk, Best will become the first athlete with previous NFL experience to compete in the Summer Games after qualifying for the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.16 seconds at an April meet.

Best is eligible to represent Saint Lucia because it is his father's home nation.

The Lions drafted Best with a first-round pick out of California in 2010, but he played just two NFL seasons because of concussions.

He finished his career with 945 rushing yards, 774 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns in 22 games.

The 27-year-old native of Vallejo, California, was a track star in high school, but he focused solely on football at Cal.

Based on Best's top time of 10.16 seconds, he enters Rio as a huge underdog. Jamaica's Usain Bolt won gold in the event at the 2012 London Games with a time of 9.63 seconds, and the results suggest Best will be on the fringes of qualifying for the semifinals.

Despite the fact that he's a long shot, Best will have an opportunity to be the first medal winner in Saint Lucia's brief history at the Summer Olympics, which dates back to 1996.

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