Olympic discus gold medalist Rojé Stona of Jamaica wants to sign with an NFL team, and he’s taking a big step toward that goal in January.
Stona, 25, was one of 14 athletes announced Monday to be part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program in 2025.
The athletes are invited to take part in a 10-week program starting in January at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Then they can work out in front of NFL scouts at the University of South Florida’s pro day in March.
Stona hasn’t yet decided if he will give up his track and field career.
“I’m still trying to figure it out,” he told ESPN UK. “It’s, like, a lot of variables, a lot of things can happen in a few months, you know what I mean? So it’s hard to put a pin on what’s going to happen, but obviously I’m going to take it a step at a time. First, I’m going to make sure I try to go through this camp successfully, try to sign with a team. If that happens, then you take it from there.”
NFL teams are allowed one roster exemption for a qualifying international player from the start of their offseason programs through the roster reduction to 53 players for the regular season.
Stona, who was 6 feet, 6 inches and 265 pounds as of last February, took part in the University of Arkansas’ pro day last March — despite having no college football experience — and ran a reported 4.69-second 40-yard dash.
He then participated in rookie minicamps in May with the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. He didn’t sign with either team, and Stona then went to the Paris Olympics.
Coached by three-time Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser, Stona became the first Jamaican to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. Jamaica’s previous 26 Olympic gold medals across all sports came in sprints and relays on the track.
Come 2025, it will have been 50 years since an Olympic gold medalist in an individual event last played in an NFL regular season game. That was wide receiver Bob Hayes, the 1964 Olympic 100m champion and only person to win an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl.
World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 2024 – Day One
Ryan Crouser, best shot putter in history, does more coaching than being coached
Ryan Crouser is an Olympic and world champion, world record holder … and coach.