From Lagos to the Chargers: The Remarkable Journey of Praise Olatoke
The odyssey of Praise Olatoke from the bustling streets of Lagos, Nigeria, to securing a contract with the Los Angeles Chargers embodies the very essence of an underdog story in sports. Born in Lagos, Olatoke's life took its first major turn at the tender age of five when his family relocated to Scotland. It was in this new environment that he discovered his affinity for athletics, originally focusing on track events.
Olatoke's talents on the track eventually earned him a scholarship at Canada’s prestigious Trinity Western University. After honing his skills in Canada, he transferred to Ohio State University in 2021, where he spent two seasons with the Buckeyes track team. However, his time there was marred by a significant setback—a torn Achilles tendon.
The injury, a potentially career-threatening one for many athletes, served as a turning point. While rehabbing, Olatoke found an unexpected opportunity in club football at Ohio State. Describing his initiation into the sport, he said, "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?"
Despite the humble beginnings, Olatoke displayed enough natural talent to catch the eye of scouts. His standout moment came when he caught a 65-yard touchdown pass against Michigan State, cementing his potential as a football player. "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," Olatoke noted, reflecting on his unconventional trajectory.
This nontraditional path eventually led him to the NFL International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), a platform designed to provide elite international athletes an opportunity to compete at the NFL level. Following a stint at the renowned IMG Academy, he was allocated to the Los Angeles Chargers. However, his journey was far from straightforward. His initial exposure to a professional NFL environment came by attending the Philadelphia Eagles' rookie minicamp, although he was not selected.
"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," Olatoke shared. Despite this setback, his perseverance paid off when the Los Angeles Chargers extended an invite to their minicamp. "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," he recounted.
That invitation proved to be the pivotal moment he had been waiting for. "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.'" Olatoke was offered a contract on the spot. "There and then, within an hour-and-a-half or so, they offered me a contract, and I'm a Charger," he said.
Praise Olatoke stands as a testament to the power of resilience and determination in sports. Reflecting on his incredible journey, Olatoke acknowledges the role of fortune but firmly believes in the ethos of hard work. "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 admitted. Yet his story is also a reminder that seizing opportunities is pivotal. "If you want it bad enough, I think you can always make things fall your way. You can create your own luck essentially."
The Chargers, who finished 5-12 last season, now boast two players from the IPPP, CJ Okoye and Praise Olatoke. As Olatoke gears up for his new chapter in the NFL, he does so with the support of friends like Louis Rees-Zammit, a former Welsh rugby star. Whether he becomes a household name in the sport remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Praise Olatoke’s journey to the NFL is already an inspiring narrative for athletes worldwide.