San Francisco 49ers Sign Former Olympic Discus Finalist
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Tom Dulat/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Olympic discus finalist Lawrence Okoye will try and make the transition to the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers signed Okoye as an undrafted free agent and plan on training him to become a defensive lineman.
Okoye finished the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds at the super regional combine with a vertical jump of 35 inches and broad jump of 10-foot-5.
His next test will come at camp with the defending NFC Champions.
“I had to work really hard to become good at [discus]. It’s going to be the same path in this sport,” Okoye told the San Jose Mercury News. “When I start out, I’m not going to be as good as everybody else. I’m going to look out of place, that’s for sure. But with some work and with time and effort, I know I can catch up and hopefully become a dominant player in the league.”
Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula will have the task of teaching Okoye how to become the dominant player he’s set out to be.
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