Praise Olatoke's journey to professional football is nothing short of extraordinary. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he relocated to Scotland at the tender age of five. His athletic prowess first shone through on the track, a passion that eventually earned him a scholarship at Canada's Trinity Western University.
A Life-Altering Injury
In 2021, Olatoke transitioned to Ohio State University, where he spent two seasons with the Buckeyes track team. However, his promising track career faced a severe setback when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon. This injury could have derailed his athletic ambitions, but it ultimately redirected his path towards football.
The Club Football Experience
Olatoke's introduction to football came through club football at Ohio State. Reflecting on this, he shared, "I never played NCAA football. The club football is just guys who come together to play football and enjoy a Saturday morning. That's really it. It might be 15, 20 people in a crowd. There could be 50. Who knows?" The experience contrasted starkly with the multimillion-dollar spectacle associated with NCAA football. "Basically, the NCAA has money; that's it. The NCAA has billions of dollars every year that funnels into it to make a show, to make a production," he remarked.
A Touch of Luck
While Olatoke acknowledges the serendipity in his story, he also credits his own resilience and belief. "I'm not going to deny that I got lucky to be in this situation. So many different dominoes had to fall my way," he said. The daunting odds of breaking into professional football didn't escape him either: "I think the statistic is one out of every 300,000 or 400,000 high school kids in the U.S. make it to the league."
Pathway to the NFL
Olatoke's break came when he participated in the NFL International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), which led to his involvement with the IMG Academy. This experience opened doors, albeit with some rejections along the way. "After the IPP and stuff, there were a couple of teams that reached out. One of them, obviously, was the Eagles. I went to their rookie minicamp, but that didn't work out," he recalled.
A few weeks later, Olatoke received a call from the Los Angeles Chargers. "A few weeks later, the Chargers reached out to me and said, 'Hey, we would be interested in bringing you out to our minicamp'. At first, I wasn't sure what was going on because they only sent me a one-way ticket." The uncertainty soon turned into a career-defining moment. "On the last day -- which was a Thursday -- one of the staff said, 'Hey, you've got a meeting with the GM'. I walked in and saw the GM. There were a couple of other people there, and they basically said: 'We like you. We think we're going to take a chance on you, so if you're up for it and you're willing to work, we're going to sign you.'" Within an hour and a half, Olatoke had a contract with the Chargers.
Joining the Chargers
After attending the Chargers' rookie minicamp, Olatoke signed with the team, joining another player from the IPPP, CJ Okoye. Despite the team's disappointing 5-12 finish last season, the addition of players like Olatoke brings a renewed sense of hope and talent.
Creating His Own Luck
Olatoke's story underscores the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and seizing opportunities. As he puts it, "If you want it bad enough, I think you can always make things fall your way. You can create your own luck essentially." His journey from a track athlete in Nigeria to a professional football player in the NFL is a testament to the power of resilience and the unpredictable nature of sports careers.
Interestingly, Olatoke remains grounded, maintaining friendships with sports figures like Louis Rees-Zammit, a former Wales rugby star. Their camaraderie speaks volumes about the tight-knit community of elite athletes, regardless of their sporting disciplines.