Olympic discus champion Roje Stona is the most recent high-profile athlete to modify sports activities and try to ascertain a profession within the NFL.
The 25-year-old, who received gold for Jamaica at Paris 2024, will try and make the NFL as a part of the league’s Worldwide Participant Pathway program, which goals to assist athletes from different sports activities set up a profession in American soccer.
Stona is way from a soccer novice. He was a observe and area star on the College of Arkansas, the place he additionally participated of their professional day, an occasion by which NFL groups assess potential gamers. Earlier than Arkansas he attended soccer powerhouse Clemson, the place he grew to become a fan of the Tigers. He additionally skilled at minicamps with the New Orleans Saints and Inexperienced Bay Packers this spring. NFL scouts imagine the 6ft 7in, 270lbs Stona can be a superb match on the line of defense or at tight finish.
“After the Olympics, [the IPP] reached out once more. I used to be like, ‘Yo, the door’s open’ once more,” Stona informed ESPN. “After all, I’m take it. On the Olympics, I received gold, received a file. And after that offseason, they approached me once more, so I took up the chance.”
Whereas most athletes on the IPP program, which lasts 10 weeks, don’t find yourself on an NFL workforce, there have been success tales. Most notable is Australia’s Jordan Mailata who began life as a rugby participant earlier than going via the IPP and turning into a longtime star with the Philadelphia Eagles. He not too long ago signed a three-year, $66m contract extension with the Eagles. Other than Mailata, 4 different IPP gamers are on lively NFL rosters: Britain’s Efe Obada (Washington Commanders), Chile’s Sammis Reyes (Minnesota Vikings), the Netherlands’ Thomas Odukoya (Tennessee Titans) and Germany’s David Bada (Detroit Lions).
Different gamers on this yr’s IPP embrace Australian rugby worldwide Jordan Petaia and one other rugby participant, Eire’s Aaron Sexton.
In January, Wales’s Louis Rees-Zammit gave up a global rugby profession to enter the IPP. Whereas he was initially picked up by the Tremendous Bowl champion Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, he’s now on the observe squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
