Ex-London 2012 Olympian turned NFL player Lawrence Okoye arrested in prostitution sting in Alabama

Lawrence Okoye, London 2012 Olympian and former NFL hopeful, was one of 13 people arrested in a prostitution sting in Alabama.

Okoye was snared by the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force four days before he was due to make his debut for the Birmingham Iron in the inaugural Alliance of American Football league.

The 6ft 6in Okoye, 27, was arrested on Wednesday and was released from the Shelby County Jail Thursday after posting a $1,000 bond.

Lawrence Okoye was one of 13 people arrested in a prostitution sting in Alabama this week

Okoye missed the Iron’s opening game against the Memphis Express with a groin injury.

‘We’ve been made aware of it. We are in the process of gathering all the information,’ Iron head coach Tim Lewis said on Friday.

Croydon-born Okoye attended Whitgift School and won the Daily Mail Schools’ Under 18 Cup in 2010. 

Okoye opted to focus on the discus and he competed in London 2012, finishing 12th

The 27-year-old holds the British discus record with a throw of of 68.24metres

An academy player at both Wasps and London Irish, Okoye opted to focus on the discus and he competed in London 2012, finishing 12th. He holds the British record with a throw of of 68.24metres.

Okoye, who was offered a place to study law at Oxford University, switched sport again heading Stateside. 

After declaring for the NFL Draft, he was signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad in 2013.

The Croydon-born athlete was signed to the San Francisco 49ers practice squad in 2013

He joined the Arizona Cardinals two years later, but was cut after parking his car in the space of head coach Bruce Arians. 

Okoye also had short spells with the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins before playing in Canada in 2017.

In October, 6ft 6in Okoye joined the Iron, but has made headlines for the wrong reasons ahead of the first weekend of the Alliance of American Football, a professional league featuring eight teams and several former NFL players. 

Okoye missed the Iron’s opening game, a 26-0 victory against the Memphis Express – who are coached by Super Bowl winner Mike Singletary – with a groin injury.