Great Britain's top discus thrower Lawrence Okoye is set to embark on an American Football career after impressing several NFL teams.
The 21-year-old finished 12th at the London Olympics having only taken up discus in 2010.
He played rugby union as a youngster and confirmed his new ambition via his Twitter feed.
"Just want to confirm that I have decided that I want to play American Football in the NFL," he posted.
Okoye attended a trial in Atlanta during a break from his discuss training and has a second in Dallas next weekend. If he is successful, he will miss the 2013 athletics season, which includes the World Championships in August.
"From my mid-teenage years everyone kept telling me to give American football a go and I thought about applying for an American scholarship when I was 16," Okoye told the Daily Mail.
"I've always been a huge NFL fan and whenever I arrived in the States the customs officers always ask me who I play for. I want to give this my best shot. It's a rare life opportunity."
Okoye added that most clubs see him as a defensive end, where his size and strength will be useful. He insisted that he will return to athletics, probably in his late twenties when his football career will be over.
Daniel Cross
