DK Metcalf
DK Metcalf.
Getty/Katelyn Mulcahy
  • DK Metcalf finished last on his 100m debut, ending his hopes of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.
  • The Seahawks star finished ninth in his heat at Sunday's Golden Games with a time of 10.37 seconds.
  • "It's very different from football speed, which I just realized," he said after.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

NFL star DK Metcalf finished last on his 100m debut to end his hopes of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

Competing at the USA Track and Field Golden Games in California on Sunday, the six-foot-four, 235-pound Seattle Seahawks wide receiver finished ninth in his heat with a time of 10.37 seconds.

The race, a precursor to the Olympic Trials, was won by Cravon Gillespie, who posted a time of 10.11 seconds.

After the race, Metcalf said he was grateful for the opportunity, but admitted that he may have underestimated the level of his competitors.

"Excited to have the opportunity," he told NBC Sports. "These are world-class athletes. They do this for a living. It's very different from football speed, which I just realized.

"I think I did really well for myself."

He added: "Of course [qualifying for Trials] was always my goal. I really do think and thought I really had a good chance to qualify."

You can see video of Metcalf's run below (he's the one in black who is way bigger than everyone else):

Metcalf, who posted a 4.33 second, 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL combine, is well-known in football circles for his impressive speed. Last year he went viral after an epic chase-down tackle of Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker.

After his highlight reel pursuit in October 2020, Metcalf teased trying out for US Track & Field team.

He finally announced his intention to race at the Golden Games last week.

The reveal was met with skepticism by current and former sprinters, including Renaldo Nehemiah, a former 110m hurdler who also played three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

"There's not a sprinter in the world who will let this guy think he can run with them. They will destroy him," Nehemiah said, according to The Guardian. "It's a noble gesture but an exercise in futility. It really is. No offense to DK, I'm a fan of his.

"I applaud him for wanting to find out - and find out he will."

NBC Sports analyst and former Olympic sprinter Ato Boldon, who predicted Metcalf at his best could run around 10.6, later said the 23-year-old did a "phenomenal job."

"He did not embarrass himself," Boldon said. "He hung with the pack. I didn't think he was going to run anywhere near that well."

Read the original article on Insider