Brit Okoye signs contract with 49ers for 2015

British NFL player Lawrence Okoye has signed a reserve/future contract for the 2015 season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Okoye, the former Olympic Discus athlete, was initially signed for the 2012 season, where he was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Okoye in 49ers training camp

Last season he ended up on the 49ers practice squad after initially being cut before the start of the regular season.The reserve/future contract is only available to players who were not on an active roster last season. Because the 2015 NFL season doesn’t officially begin until March, teams use these contracts to sign players before the next season starts.

Okoye is seen as the pet project of defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, who is one of the leading candidates to become the new 49ers head coach after Jim Harbaugh’s departure for the head coaching job at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.