For NFL players on the practice squad, nothing is ever assured, and they can often be cut for any reason at any time. Defensive linemen Lawrence Okoye knows this feeling all too well thanks to Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians.
Many aren’t likely to be aware of this, but Okoye was cut from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad back in October, but it was not necessarily for his on-field performance. Rather, he was cut for another matter entirely: parking in head coach Bruce Arians’ parking spot.
The backstory comes from the Amazon and NFL Films series “All or Nothing” that features the Cardinals’ 2015 season. Arians makes himself very clear on his feelings should someone park in his clearly designated parking spot.
Don't park in Bruce Arians' parking spot…
Really. Don't. 😳 #AllorNothing https://t.co/NpabzdJmhn https://t.co/JDLuaQtNYj
— NFL (@NFL) July 2, 2016
Needless to say, this normally wouldn’t be an issue given that the parking space is designated for the head coach’s use. But this was apparently an issue in the third episode, as Okoye, who seemed to be running late, pulled into the spot. Given the fact that practice squad players are already on thin ice, the decision didn’t seem too hard for Arians to pull.
“Parked in the wrong spot,” Arians told general manager Steve Keim and team president Michael Bidwill. “There weren’t any parking places so he just parked and came running in. Tough (expletive), bro.”
Okoye’s replacement on the practice squad, Olsen Pierre, was given the rundown on parking should he find himself in a similar predicament as his predecessor.
“If you ain’t got no spot to park in, just park in that next parking lot,” fellow defensive lineman Ed Stinson told Pierre, noting the lot to a park right next to the facility.
“If it says ‘handicapped’ or if it says ‘season ticket holder,’ the guy that you replaced, he parked there,” Arians explained. “We ain’t got many rules.”
This certainly serves as an example to the thin line practice squad players walk and the fragility of a roster spot. We can surely assume that Pierre, and the rest of the Cardinals roster, made certain to steer clear of Arians’ parking spot.
