Lawrence Okoye set for NFL switch

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.