NFL Super Regional Combine: Lawrence Okoye, British Discus Thrower, Puts on a Show
By Josh Sanchez
British discus thrower Lawrence Okoye recently made headlines when he announced that he was ready to go after his goal of becoming an NFL player.
With Okoye never playing a down of organized football, it seemed highly unlikely that he would warrant a selection in the 2013 NFL Draft.
All of that changed today after Okoye put on an incredible performance at the NFL Regional Combine in Dallas.
Okoye measured in at 6-foot-5 3/8 and 304 pounds. If his size wasn’t impressive enough, he looked incredible during drills and recorded some unbelievable times.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 and 4.78 seconds, performed the short shuttle in 4.38 seconds, had a 10-foot-5 broad jump and a 35-inch vertical jump.
At the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, only five defensive linemen ran a quicker time. To make matters even more impressive, the records show that none of those defensive linemen weighted more than 277-pounds. For a man of Okoye’s size his numbers were incredible.
According to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt:
"It looked like from the group that worked out Sunday, about half will be given the opportunity to sign with a team as a free agent and attend training camp. Okoye looked like he could be drafted. He was unbelievably active and incredibly explosive in drills. It was a real, first-class show."
Brandt also called Okoye’s performance “a real, first-class show.”
Okoye has the rare size, speed combination that you just can’t teach. It would be a risky move for a team to spend a draft pick on a player that has never played a down on the football field, but his measurements and rare athleticism is something that NFL teams will be enamored by.
After his performance at the regional combine, Okoye has gone from a player that seems like an undrafted free agent to a player that is certainly draftable and can be a force if he is taken by a team with a coaching staff that can properly mold him.
Would you spend a draft pick on Okoye? Sound off in the comments section and let your comments be heard.