Olympic Discus Gold Medalist Roje Stona Targets NFL Career

The 2024 Olympic discus gold medal marked Roje Stona’s inaugural medal at a significant championship event. Just over four months following his historic gold medal victory for Jamaica, Olympic discus champion Roje Stona is now aiming for achievement in a distinct athletic discipline: American football. The 25-year-old athlete is among 14 individuals chosen for the National Football League’s (NFL) International Player Pathway (IPP) program, which commences in January. This program functions as a 10-week intensive training course, designed to equip athletes globally with the necessary skills for NFL success and to provide them a chance to secure a place on a team roster. Louis Rees-Zammit, a Welsh rugby union international; Travis Clayton, an eighth-tier English rugby union player; and Charlie Smyth, a Gaelic footballer, were all drafted by NFL teams following their participation in the 2024 class. Stona’s choice to transition from discus throwing to playing American football is likely the most notable surprise within the 2025 cohort, particularly given his lack of prior competitive experience in the sport at any level. Stona humorously remarked, “Unless you count Madden,” referring to the well-known video game franchise. He informed BBC Sport, “I understand the work it’s going to take.” He continued, “I’ve done my research. I think a lot can happen in those eight to 10 weeks. I believe there’s great coaches who can teach me a lot.” Stona’s achievement of topping the podium at Paris 2024, where he established an Olympic record of 70m, marked Jamaica’s inaugural gold medal in a throwing discipline. Upon his return to the island, he was greeted as a hero and received a congratulatory message from Usain Bolt. Nevertheless, after reaching the peak of the sport to which he had devoted his life, Stona found himself pondering a crucial question: what would be his next endeavor? He further stated, “There was a little bit of a comedown [after Paris].” He explained, “I’ve been throwing the discus and shotput for over 10 years, since I was a junior.” “The goal was to become the best in the world and that came in a great time,” he noted. “So after finishing college and thinking back on the year, that’s when I decided I’d pursue my interest in football.” Stona established an Olympic record during his discus gold medal win in Paris during the summer. Stona recounted developing an affinity for American football after an invitation to attend a game while he was a student at Clemson University in South Carolina, a university whose team secured national championships in 2017 and 2019. He stated: “My first reaction when I got to the stadium was ‘there’s a lot of people here’. I am talking the type of crowd you’d see at the Olympics or World Championships – and they had this at a college football game.” He continued, “I went to more and more games, became more interested, then started watching the NFL. Then my goals just sort of shifted and I thought, ‘I might have a shot at this. I should try it out.’ Is he a dreamer? Naive? Possibly. Nevertheless, Stona characterizes himself as a “visual learner” capable of mastering a technique simply by observing and replicating the action. Following invitations to train with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints last spring, Stona opted to participate in all practice drills. This was an uncommon approach, but having no prior experience in the sport, he was uncertain whether he was better suited for offense or defense. These training sessions also marked his initial experience wearing American football gear, including a helmet. He remarked, “Up until then I’d only seen the sport from the fan point of view, but then I went into these buildings and the coaches were talking about specific plays to run.” He added, “It was strange learning a new language.” Coaches identified Stona as most suitable for the tight end position, involving catching passes, though his favored role, and the one he intends to pursue, is defensive end, which involves pressuring the quarterback. He further commented, “I’m a bit of a sponge.” He elaborated, “Going behind the scenes, you see just how much strategy is involved in the game, but I have a lot of curiosity.” “Anything you do for the first time you get nervous, but my whole life has been competing at a high level, so I catch on fast. I am very coachable,” he asserted. While Stona possesses limited experience on a football field, his athleticism and physicality are significant assets; he is recorded at 6ft 6in and nearly 19st. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein has emphasized Stona’s “outstanding size, length, musculation and explosiveness”. Nevertheless, observations regarding his weaknesses indicated his novelty to the sport and noted “some stiffness in lateral movements.” Stona states he harbors no misconceptions regarding the extensive effort required merely to secure a place on an NFL roster, let alone to play in a game. He acknowledges that numerous individuals have attempted this transition, with only a small number achieving success, even among athletes with backgrounds more aligned with American football. Presently, the prospect of defending his Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028 is not his immediate focus. A strong competitive drive motivates him, frequently intensified by the skepticism of those who doubt his ability to reach his objective. He affirmed, “I think it’s 100% possible.” He added, “If you don’t believe it can happen, it probably won’t happen.” “I understand the work I have to put in. Discus took time. Football will take some time. I see some of the comments already, but I don’t put limits on myself,” he declared.