Reaching the Olympics is one of the most challenging things an athlete can do. They dedicate their lives to perfecting their craft and spend years trying to make it to the world's biggest sporting stage. In the same sense, making it onto an NFL roster can be just as challenging. Only 53 players are on each team.
So, competing in the Olympics and reaching the NFL is almost unheard of. However, Roje Stona is now trying to do the impossible.
Stona began his track and field career as a high jumper but quickly realized that wasn't going to be the sport for him.
"Back in eighth grade, I got too heavy over that one season," Stona said while laughing. "So my coach decided we had to try a different event."
That decision paid off. Stona switched to discus and became one of the best throwers in the world. He eventually made the national team in his home country of Jamaica and represented the green, yellow and black on the global stage.
"I’ve been doing it since a youth, junior, then the senior level was world championships, and the biggest thing was the Olympics," Stona said.
Stona just competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He won Jamaica's only gold medal of the games, the country's first gold medal in discus ever, and set a new Olympic record.
"It was great," Stona said. "It was probably the peak of my career."
Stona's Olympic journey ended on top with gold, but he's not done there. The Jamaican is now switching sports and attempting to make an NFL roster.
"When people see me, they don’t ask, 'Do you throw a discus?'" Stona said. "They ask, 'Are you a football player?'"
That is the new dream — to make it to the NFL.
Stona is trying out for the NFL through the league's International Player Pathway program. The new initiative is a way for the league to become more global and bring in athletes from other countries who may not be able to go through the traditional route of college football. One notable player from the IPP program is former professional rugby player and now Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata. Stona is one of 14 players in the IPP program this year.
He has tried to make the NFL before. While on the University of Arkansas' track and field team, Stona attempted to walk on to the Razorbacks football team. He didn't make it, but he did get an invite to their NFL pro day, where he worked out in front of NFL scouts. From there, he received some invites to NFL mini-camps but never made it onto a roster. So, Stona switched back to discus, leading him to win gold in Paris.
Now, Stona is back on the gridiron and trying to revitalize his NFL dreams. To do so, he has temporarily moved to Fort Myers to train at X3 Performance and Physical Therapy.
"I’m working with them, seeing and copying [the other NFL hopefuls}, and improving personally," Stona said.
While learning a new sport has been a challenge, Stona says his Olympic past is helping his potential NFL future.
"Explosiveness, quickness of your hips, balance," Stona said while listing off attributes that help in both of his sports.
Stona is hoping to sign with an NFL team as a defensive lineman this off-season and has high expectations for his future.
"Hopefully win a Super Bowl," Stona said regarding his current dream. "If that doesn’t work, then go back to discus and do the same thing. Try to put my name up there, get it higher and higher in the history books.”
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