Olympic discus gold medalist Rojé Stona of Jamaica desires to signal with an NFL staff, and he’s taking an enormous step towards that purpose in January.
Stona, 25, was considered one of 14 athletes introduced Monday to be a part of the NFL’s Worldwide Participant Pathway program in 2025.
The athletes are invited to participate in a 10-week program beginning in January at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Then they’ll work out in entrance of NFL scouts on the College of South Florida’s professional day in March.
Stona hasn’t but determined if he’ll quit his monitor and area profession.
“I’m nonetheless attempting to determine it out,” he advised ESPN UK. “It’s, like, loads of variables, loads of issues can occur in a couple of months, you already know what I imply? So it’s arduous to place a pin on what’s going to occur, however clearly I’m going to take it a step at a time. First, I’m going to ensure I attempt to undergo this camp efficiently, attempt to signal with a staff. If that occurs, then you definately take it from there.”
NFL groups are allowed one roster exemption for a qualifying worldwide participant from the beginning of their offseason packages by means of the roster discount to 53 gamers for the common season.
Stona, who was 6 toes, 6 inches and 265 kilos as of final February, took half within the College of Arkansas’ professional day final March — regardless of having no school soccer expertise — and ran a reported 4.69-second 40-yard sprint.
He then participated in rookie minicamps in Might with the New Orleans Saints and Inexperienced Bay Packers. He didn’t signal with both staff, and Stona then went to the Paris Olympics.
Coached by three-time Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser, Stona turned the primary Jamaican to win an Olympic gold medal in a area occasion. Jamaica’s earlier 26 Olympic gold medals throughout all sports activities got here in sprints and relays on the monitor.
Come 2025, it can have been 50 years since an Olympic gold medalist in a person occasion final performed in an NFL common season recreation. That was huge receiver Bob Hayes, the 1964 Olympic 100m champion and solely individual to win an Olympic gold medal and a Tremendous Bowl.
