The Carolina Panthers are taking a flyer on a flyer.
On Monday, the team added wide receiver Praise Olatoke to their practice squad. The Lagos, Nigeria native and former United Kingdom track star comes in through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, and will now account as the 17th member of the group.
Head coach Dave Canales was asked about his team’s newest face following Monday’s practice.
“Speed! Speed,” Canales said of what Olatoke can bring to the Panthers. “So here’s a guy who ran 10.27 in the 100 [metres]. He’s got a great frame. Just really looking forward to seeing him out there flying around. He’s on our practice squad currently. So, I’m excited to just kinda see him develop and see what he can become. Very exciting.”
Olatoke, who moved to Glasgow, Scotland at five years old, was a member of both the Scottish and Great Britain national teams as a sprinter. In 2019, he was named the Scottish U20 Athlete of the Year and competed in the 200 metres during the European Athletics U20 Championships for Great Britain.
The 6-foot-2, 197-pound speedster really hit the gridiron after transferring to Ohio State University in 2021, joining the school’s club football team after using up his eligibility for track. Before getting his shot through the IPPP, Olatoke ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the IMG Academy pro day in March.
He’s since participated in rookie minicamp for the Philadelphia Eagles and was rostered by the Los Angeles Chargers from June 14 to Aug. 2.
