- Written by Sean McGill
- BBC Scotland
Olatoke praised for wanting to fly Scottish flag in NFL
Born in Nigeria. I was brought up in Glasgow. Are you going to the NFL?
Olatoke has followed an unconventional path in life, so when the opportunity arose to switch from a track field to an American football field, the decision was quicker than the 100-meter dash.
The 23-year-old finds himself in the final weeks of the NFL's International Player Pathway. The pathway will give 16 athletes from around the world, who may not have previously known the brown leather of football, the opportunity to step into the world of the sport. The biggest stage.
For some, it may be daunting to leave behind a successful career in track and field to pursue the notoriously grueling and demanding new field of sprinter to wide receiver.
But if you're asked if you can imagine a scenario in which he scores the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, it's clear that Olatke has the Scottish Galles' record stateside.
“1000%,” he told BBC Scotland. “I'm not saying this is an anomaly because crazier things are happening. I think it's bound to happen. And it will happen. It's just a matter of time.”
bold. However, this dream is not something that has recently sprung up in the minds of young people. He was burning up the blocks representing Scotland in track and field and climbing the world rankings, but his finish line looked different.
“The door is open, you must take it.”
American football has grown tremendously in the UK over the past decade. Still, there probably aren't that many kids playing around in Glasgow school playgrounds and telling their friends they're going to play in the NFL one day.
Meanwhile, Oratke told anyone who would listen:
“Ask any of your friends from high school and they'll tell you they're going to play American football,” he says.
“I don't know how or where. It's something I've wanted to do since I was 15. Now that the door is open, I have no choice but to do it.
“Honestly, it's been tough, but I'm definitely seeing progress. From day one, I could barely understand which players were going where. Now I can visualize play concepts and I've seen huge progress. Masu.”
Olatke will put his improvements to the test on Wednesday when IPP's 2024 graduates, including Welsh rugby union superstar Louis Rees-Zammit, demonstrate their new skills in front of scouts from across the country.
Olatoke's roommate Louis Rees-Zammit has withdrawn from Wales' Six Nations squad to join the International Player Pathway.
If you impress them, you could earn a spot with one of the league's 32 franchises. It will be a proud moment for the former Ohio State runner, not only as an individual but also as one of the few Scots to compete in the NFL.
“I was born in Nigeria but moved to Scotland when I was five years old,” says Olatoke. “My family still lives there and I lived there until I was 18. I did all my schooling in Glasgow.
“I grew up representing Scotland in athletics, so I'd be sick of representing Scotland in American football. That's definitely my goal. We're one of the few people in Scotland who can say, 'We've got an NFL player.' It’s about becoming one of the characters.”
“Scotland has athletes. I don't see why American football can't come to Scotland, why Scottish people can't grow up and play American football at a high level.”
image source, Getty Images
Saltire was flown in the Super Bowl despite the limited list of players from Scotland to be promoted to America's most popular sport.
Greenock native Lawrence Tynes kicked field goals for the New York Giants in both their 2008 and 2012 Vince Lombardi Trophy wins.
If Olatke can achieve his immediate goal of winning a jersey, it won't be long before he becomes the next Scot to wear that glorious Super Bowl ring on his finger.
“It's every player's dream,” he says. “You don't have to work this hard for this long and put yourself through this much to at least try to win a Super Bowl.
“It’s definitely something I’d like to see for myself in the future.”
