Lawrence Okoye

{{Short description|British discus thrower and American football player (born 1991)}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Lawrence Okoye

| image = 2022-08-19 European Championships 2022 – Men's Discus Throw by Sandro Halank–004.jpg

| imagesize = 200px

| caption = Okoye in 2022

| nationality = British

| sport = Track and field

| event = Discus throw

| club =

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1991|10|6}}

| birth_place =

| residence =

| height = 1.98 m

| weight = 138 kg

| pb = 70.76 m

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's athletics }}

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}

{{MedalCountry|{{ENG}}}}

}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Lawrence Okoye

| image = Lawrence Okoye.JPG

| alt =

| caption = Okoye with the San Francisco 49ers in 2015

| current_team =

| number = 78, 98

| position = Defensive tackle

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|10|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Croydon, London, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 6

| weight_lbs = 310

| high_school = London (UK) Whitgift

| college =

| undraftedyear = 2013

| pastteams = * San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|2013}}–{{NFL Year|2014}})

Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2015}})*
New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2015|2016}})*
Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|2016}})*
Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|2016}})*
Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|2017}})*
Montreal Alouettes ({{CFL Year|2017}})
Birmingham Iron ({{AAF Year|2019}})

| status =

}}

Lawrence Okoye (born 6 October 1991) is a British track and field athlete and former American football defensive tackle. He is the British record holder in the discus event. Okoye became the first ever British athlete to win a medal in Discus at a European Championships during Munich 2022. He has also played rugby union.[http://iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/letter=o/athcode=257631/index.html Okoye Lawrence]. IAAF. Retrieved on 21 May 2012.

Personal life

Born in Croydon in South London to Nigerian parents,{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/9400792/London-2012-Olympics-Team-GBs-Lawrence-Okoye-hopes-to-repay-headmasters-faith-with-discus-medal.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Ian | last=Chadband | title=London 2012 Olympics: Team GB's Lawrence Okoye hopes to repay headmaster's faith with discus medal | date=14 July 2012}} Okoye was educated at St Mary's Roman Catholic Junior School, a voluntary aided Roman Catholic state primary school in Croydon, followed by Whitgift School, an independent school for boys, also in Croydon.

Okoye is an honorary member of the St Peter's College JCR, and has an offer from the University of Oxford to study law which he is keen to take up in the future.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-12 |title=Lawrence Okoye bypassing Oxford Law School for chance with Dolphins |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/miami-dolphins/post/_/id/25447/lawrence-okoye-bypassing-oxford-law-school-for-chance-with-dolphins |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}

He played rugby union as a winger{{cite web|url=http://melosport.com/2012/08/06/london-2012-meet-team-gbs-very-own-beast-in-lawrence-okoye/|title=London 2012: Meet Team GB's very own 'beast' in Lawrence Okoye|date=6 August 2012}} for Whitgift School playing in the Daily Mail Schools Rugby Under 18 final at Twickenham in 2010, and was also a member of the academy teams of both London Irish and London Wasps.

Okoye was arrested on 6 February 2019 as part of a reverse prostitution sting in Shelby County, Alabama, four days before the kickoff of the Birmingham Iron's inaugural season.{{cite news| url=https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2019/02/birmingham-iron-player-among-13-busted-in-shelby-county-prostitution-sting.html

|title=Birmingham Iron player among 13 busted in Shelby County prostitution sting|publisher=AL.com|date=8 February 2019|last1=Robinson|first1=Carol}} The charges were later dropped.{{cite news| url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/athletics/lawrence-okoye-set-stay-athletics-18500265

|title=Lawrence Okoye set to stay with athletics after 60m throw on return from NFL|publisher=Mirror|date=21 July 2019|last1=Spink|first1=Alex}}

Discus

Okoye began training full-time in the discus in September 2010 after a promising career as a junior rugby union player.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/aug/05/lawrence-okoye-discus-thrower-athletics |title=Discus thrower Lawrence Okoye has belief to be a world beater |author=Anna Kessel |date=5 August 2011|work=The Guardian |access-date=21 August 2011 |location=London}} In his first international outing he came sixth in the discus throw at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He won a gold medal at the 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships in July 2011 at the age of 19.

Later on that season, Okoye threw a new British record of 67.63m at the McCain Jumps & Throws Fest.{{cite news|last=van Dijck|first=Florian|title=Lawrence Okoye – man on a mission|url=https://throwholics.com/2011/10/lawrence-okoye-man-on-a-mission/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106053408/https://throwholics.com/2011/10/lawrence-okoye-man-on-a-mission/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=6 November 2018|access-date=13 June 2017|newspaper=Throwholics.com|date=28 October 2011}} He then bettered that mark with another British record of 68.24m at the Hallesche Werfertage meeting in May 2012.[http://www.european-athletics.org/news/latest-news/496-general/11046-german-discus-star-harting-over-70-metres-in-halle.html German discus star Harting over 70 metres in Halle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527141549/http://www.european-athletics.org/news/latest-news/496-general/11046-german-discus-star-harting-over-70-metres-in-halle.html |date=27 May 2012 }}. European Athletics (20 May 2012). Retrieved on 21 May 2012.

In the 2012 Summer Olympics, Okoye competed in the discus, reaching the final with a throw of 65.28m. In the final, he finished in twelfth place with a throw of 61.03m. After the competition, he expressed disappointment with his placing in the final.{{cite news|last=Hart|first=Simon|title=Lawrence Okoye bows out of London 2012 discus final|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/9460147/Lawrence-Okoye-bows-out-of-London-2012-discus-final.html|access-date=31 August 2012|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=7 August 2012}}

After leaving American football, Okoye competed in the 2019 Anniversary Games. This was his first competition since 2012. His best result of 2019 was 60.80 m at the Olympic Stadium on 21 July 2019. In 2020, his season best was 65.15 m in Magdeburg and in 2021, 65.56 m in Winchester before he won the discus event at 2021 European Athletics Team Championships. In 2022 he won the Silver medal in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Bronze in the European Championships in Munich.

In 2024 Okoye was one of 155 men selected to Great Britain’s Team to compete in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and finished the year with a best throw of 67.05 in Zagreb, Croatia. In 2025 Okoye throws 70.76m to break his own men’s discus record almost 13 years after setting the previous one.

NFL career

=2013 NFL Combine=

{{nfl predraft

| height ft = 6

| height in = 6

| weight = 304

| dash = 4.78

| ten split = 1.67

| twenty split = 2.75

| shuttle = 4.65

| cone drill = 6.69

| vertical = 36

| broad ft = 10

| broad in = 7

| bench = 30

| wonderlic =

| arm span =

| hand span =

| note = All values from Central Florida Pro Day.{{cite web|url=http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=97501&draftyear=2013&genpos=DT|title=Lawrence Okoye, DS #17 DT, No College}}

}}

=2013 NFL Draft=

In March 2013, Okoye announced his intentions to play in the National Football League, despite having never played American football at school or university; he stated that five NFL teams expressed interest in him, and planned to sign after the 2013 NFL draft.{{cite web|last=Copeland|first=Kareem|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/lawrence-okoye-hopes-to-move-from-olympics-to-nfl-0ap1000000156153|title=Lawrence Okoye hopes to move from Olympics to NFL|publisher=National Football League|date=31 March 2013|access-date=31 March 2013}} At the NFL Super Regional Combine, Okoye ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds, while scoring 36 inches on the vertical jump and 10 feet, 7 inches on the broad jump.{{cite web|last=Brooks|first=Bucky|url=http://www.nfl.com/draft/story/0ap1000000158634/article/lawrence-okoye-cody-davis-shine-at-super-regional-combine|title=Lawrence Okoye, Cody Davis shine at Super Regional Combine|publisher=National Football League|date=9 April 2013|access-date=10 April 2013}}{{Cite web|url=http://nesn.com/2013/04/lawrence-okoye-british-discus-thrower-runs-4-78-40-yard-dash-at-6-foot-6-308-pounds-during-nfl-regional-combine/|title = Lawrence Okoye, British Discus Thrower, Runs 4.78 40-Yard Dash at 6-Foot-6, 308 Pounds During NFL Regional Combine|date = 10 April 2013}} Okoye was signed on 27 April by the San Francisco 49ers.{{cite web|last=Wesseling|first=Chris|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/lawrence-okoye-to-49ers-leads-free-agent-rookie-deals-0ap1000000164897|title=Lawrence Okoye to 49ers leads free-agent rookie deals|publisher=National Football League|date=27 April 2013|access-date=27 April 2013}}

=San Francisco 49ers=

On 27 August 2013, Okoye was placed on Injured Reserve after sustaining an injury in the pre-season.

On 31 August 2014, the 49ers announced that Okoye was added to the practice squad.{{cite web|url=http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/49ers-Sign-7-Players-To-Practice-Squad/72cabff7-079d-4509-bf1c-473997df105b|title=49ers Sign 7 Players To Practice Squad}}

On 31 August 2015, Okoye was waived in order for the 49ers to make the 53-man roster.

=Arizona Cardinals=

On 7 September 2015, Arizona Cardinals signed Okoye to their practice squad.{{cite web |url=http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Practice-Squad-Set-For-Cardinals/0e6435c2-45b2-4b05-aea5-e7234141db91 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301044621/http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Practice-Squad-Set-For-Cardinals/0e6435c2-45b2-4b05-aea5-e7234141db91 |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 March 2018 |title=Practice Squad Set For Cardinals |last=Urban |first=Darren |date=7 September 2015 |website=AZCardinals.com |access-date=11 September 2015}}

On 21 October 2015, the Cardinals released Okoye from their practice squad.url=http://www.azcardinals.com/news/transactions.html|title=Arizona{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Cardinals Transactions Head coach Bruce Arians said that a leading reason for Okoye's release was because Okoye parked his car in Arians's parking spot at team facilities.{{cite web |title=Bruce Arians Cut Practice Squad Player Over Parking Spot |date=2 July 2016|url=http://cardswire.usatoday.com/2016/07/02/bruce-arians-cut-practice-squad-player-over-parking-spot/}}

=New York Jets=

On 13 November 2015, New York Jets signed Okoye to their practice squad.{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/11/meet_lawrence_okoye_former_british_olympian_signed.html |title=Meet Lawrence Okoye, former British Olympian signed by Jets |last=Slater |first=Darryl |date=17 November 2015 |website=nj.com |access-date=17 November 2015}}

Okoye signed a reserve/future contract on 11 January 2016.{{cite web|title=Jets Sign 4 More to Reserve/Future Contracts |url=http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-4-More-to-ReserveFuture-Contracts/4e404fe4-8a05-4bcc-8f9e-9e8e4aafb891 |publisher=New York Jets |author=Lange, Randy |date=11 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113092050/http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-4-More-to-ReserveFuture-Contracts/4e404fe4-8a05-4bcc-8f9e-9e8e4aafb891 |archive-date=13 January 2016 |access-date=14 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}

The Jets released Okoye on 1 June 2016.{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/06/01/jets-release-former-english-discus-thrower-lawrence-okoye/|title=Jets release former English discus-thrower Lawrence Okoye|work=ProFootballTalk.com|date=1 June 2016|access-date=1 June 2016}}

=Dallas Cowboys=

Cowboys signed Okoye on 8 June 2016,{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/06/08/cowboys-sign-lawrence-okoye-two-others/|title=Cowboys sign Lawrence Okoye, two others|work=ProFootballTalk.com|date=8 June 2016|access-date=8 June 2016}} but he was released on 3 September 2016 during final roster cuts.{{cite web|title=Dallas Cowboys Roster Cuts Tracker|url=http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016/9/3/12785278/dallas-cowboys-roster-cuts-2016-cowboys-cut-wr-andy-jones|website=bloggingtheboys.com|access-date=19 October 2016|ref=2|date=3 September 2016}}

=Chicago Bears=

On 23 November 2016, Okoye was signed to the Bears' practice squad.{{cite web|title=Bears re-sign Fales, put Miller on IR|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-rostermoves/Bears-re-sign-Fales-put-Miller-on-IR/56a59cdb-d144-4bc9-beac-04e61a41861a|author=Mayer, Larry|website=ChicagoBears.com|date=23 November 2016|access-date=23 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124091348/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-rostermoves/Bears-re-sign-Fales-put-Miller-on-IR/56a59cdb-d144-4bc9-beac-04e61a41861a|archive-date=24 November 2016|url-status=dead}}

=Miami Dolphins=

On 12 January 2017, Okoye signed a reserve/future contract with the Dolphins.{{cite web|title=Dolphins Sign DL Lawrence Okoye To Futures Deal|url=http://nfltraderumors.co/dolphins-sign-dl-lawrence-okoye-futures-deal/|date=12 January 2017}} He was waived on 2 September 2017.{{cite web|title=Dolphins Make Roster Moves|url=http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/press-releases/article-1/Dolphins-Make-Roster-Moves/6e2a4fb4-c259-4543-947d-0c866ce56319|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620024159/http://www.miamidolphins.com/news/press-releases/article-1/Dolphins-Make-Roster-Moves/6e2a4fb4-c259-4543-947d-0c866ce56319|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 June 2018|website=MiamiDolphins.com|date=2 September 2017}}

CFL career

=Montreal Alouettes=

On 18 September 2017, Okoye signed to the practice squad of Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He was put on the active roster and played his first CFL game{{Cite web|url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2016/06/RosterMatch15%40CGY2017-Chart-29-septembre.pdf|title=Montreal Alouettes Depth Chart vs Stampeders}} on 29 September against the Calgary Stampeders, recording one tackle.{{Cite web|url=https://en.montrealalouettes.com/games/2429/montreal-alouettes-vs-calgary-stampeders/#boxscore|title=Alouettes box score vs Stampeders}} He was released on 8 October 2017{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions-2017/|title=CFL Transactions|website=CFL.ca|quote="Oct 8 2017: MTL REM UNS INT Lawrence OKOYE (DL)"|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322142437/https://www.cfl.ca/transactions-2017/|url-status=dead}} and re-signed by the Alouettes on 19 May 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2018/05/19/als-release-tevaughn-campbell-sign-draft-picks/|title=Alouettes news release|date=19 May 2018 }}

AAF career

=Birmingham Iron=

On 12 October 2018, Okoye signed for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football ahead of the inaugural season of the League in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://aaf.com/birmingham-iron/roster/|title=Birmingham Iron roster}}{{Cite web|url=https://210football.com/aaf-signs-more-players-oct-12-2018|title=AAF signs more players|access-date=3 December 2018|archive-date=4 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204010045/https://210football.com/aaf-signs-more-players-oct-12-2018|url-status=dead}} He made the 52-man roster on 30 January 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/sports/2019/01/birmingham-iron-sets-roster-for-inaugural-season.html|title=Birmingham Iron sets roster for inaugural season|date=30 January 2019}} He was placed on injured reserve on 20 February 2019. The league ceased operations in April 2019.{{Cite web |last=Rothstein |first=Michael |last2=Wickersham |first2=Seth |date=June 13, 2019 |title=Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26957796/inside-short-unhappy-life-alliance-american-football |access-date=January 9, 2024 |website=ESPN.com}}

References

External links

{{World Athletics}}
{{British Athletics}}
{{Team GB}}
{{Team England|lawrence-okoye}}
{{Olympedia}}
{{2022 Commonwealth Games profile|62698}}
{{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20130127124604/http://www.lawrenceokoye.com/ |date=dmy |title=Official website}}