The story of British Olympian Lawrence Okoye was perhaps the most intriguing to come out of the NFL Super Regional Combine in Arlington, Texas, last week. It sounds as if NFL teams are intrigued as well.
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Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday that Okoye visited with the San Francisco 49ers earlier this week before heading to New Orleans for a Friday visit with the Saints. Okoye finished 12th at the 2012 London Olympic Games in the discus. NFL.com's Gil Brandt wrote that he turned down an offer to attend Oxford University in order to try out for the NFL.
Okoye's 40-yard dash, short shuttle, and broad jump were ridiculously good for a 308-pound player. His football skills are underdeveloped, but he could be the type of high-ceiling prospect that NFL teams take a chance on late in the 2013 NFL Draft as a project. Brandt said that Okoye was "unbelievably active and incredibly explosive" in the football drills.
It wouldn't be a surprise if Okoye winds up being the face of this year's super regional class, like Greg "Legatron" Zuerlein was last year before landing with the St. Louis Rams.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.