DK Metcalf: Olympics tryout is 'a blessing'

DK Metcalf posted a time of 10.37 seconds in the 100-meter race. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

DK Metcalf on trying to qualify for Olympics: 'It's just a blessing'

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 5/9/21

DK Metcalf fell short on Sunday in his bid to qualify for the Olympics, but you have to admire the reason the Seattle Seahawks star gave for trying.

Metcalf ran the 100-meter sprint in the USATF Golden Games and Distance Open. He came in last in his heat and 15th out of 17th runners overall, posting a time of 10.37 seconds. Considering his size and the fact that he is not a professional sprinter, the results were a lot more respectable than they sound.

When Metcalf finished his race, former NFL linebacker and media personality Emmanuel Acho asked the 23-year-old what motivated him to try out. Metcalf had an awesome response.

I walked up to DK and said, “Ay bro, what you even decide to do this for?”

DK Metcalf: “Myself, everybody else is scared to do it.” *mic drop*

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) May 9, 2021

While Metcalf posted a respectable time, the results were a reminder that even the fastest NFL players can’t keep pace with full-time sprinters. He alluded to that after the race.

“Just to test my speed against world-class athletes like this, it’s just a blessing,” Metcalf said, via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. “I just do things because I want to do it. … These are world-class athletes. It’s very different from football speed, as I just realized.”

You can see the video of the race here.

Metcalf put in a lot of work to get ready for the event, and it sounds like it was an overall positive experience for him.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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