Reward Olatoke, the Los Angeles Chargers’ new Scottish extensive receiver, has described his journey from Nigeria through Glasgow to the NFL as “loopy”.
The 24-year-old has joined the Chargers after he didn’t earn a spot with the Philadelphia Eagles when he attended a rookie minicamp in Might.
He’ll now compete to earn a spot on the Chargers’ remaining 53-man lively roster for 2024.
If he doesn’t make it, Olatoke is more likely to spend his first season on the Chargers’ observe squad.
Olatoke was born in Nigeria however moved to Scotland when he was simply 5 years previous and was a pupil at Cardonald Major College in Glasgow earlier than attending St Columba’s in Kilmacolm.
“It is a loopy journey, actually,” he mentioned. “I used to be simply speaking to my mother yesterday about how far I’ve got here from.
“From Kinning Park to Los Angeles is simply nuts to consider the totally different instructions and international locations and cities taken to get right here, so it feels nice. It was a loopy story.
“I try to stay a lifetime of journey and that is one thing that kind of proves that. I am simply going for journey. Yeah, I am excited. I am able to see the place this takes me.”
After incomes a spot on this yr’s worldwide participant pathway programme, Olatoke was provided the chance to coach with the Eagles.
He says that, after the frustration of lacking out on a spot of their squad, he was not sure if his dream of enjoying within the NFL would come true. Then the decision got here from LA.
“To be very, very candid, after I acquired again from Philadelphia, I did not know if the league was going to work out for me,” he mentioned. “So I spent two, three weeks kind of decompressing from soccer, reflecting on what I need to do.
“I used to be beginning to make strikes, like my subsequent journey. I did not know the place life was going subsequent.
“However I do not restrict myself and what I feel I can do. I need to go to Mars, so I am going to go to the Moon. Finally, I feel I am going to do it.”
Olatoke will return to Scotland subsequent week then head again to america for the Chargers’ four-week summer time coaching camp earlier than the beginning of the NFL season in September.
There he and the Chargers’ 90-man low season roster will compete for a spot on the Chargers’ 53-man lively roster for the 2024 season.
This yr, for the primary time, all 32 NFL franchises will likely be given a further place of their observe squads particularly for worldwide gamers, together with those that have come by way of the IPP programme.
Groups who’ve a world participant of their observe squad may also be allowed to advertise them to their lively roster, as much as thrice throughout the season.