Jamaican Olympic discus champion Roje Stona is among the latest group of athletes to leave their sport to pursue a career in the NFL.
Stona won gold in Paris earlier this summer while also breaking the Olympic discus record as the first Jamaican to ever win a throw event at the Olympics.
He will now step away from his discipline to join the International Player Pathway program class of 2025 along with 13 other athletes from across 13 countries around the world for a chance in football.
Stona and his teammates will train for 10 weeks at the IMG Academy in Florida starting in January before showing off their skills in front of NFL scouts at Pro Day in March.
Also taking part in the program is Australian rugby union international Jordan Petaia and Ulster player Aaron Sexton, representing Ireland.
Louis Rees-Zammit hit the headlines earlier this year when he quit rugby on the eve of the Six Nations to join the IPP, initially signing with the Kansas City Chiefs for whom he was ' appeared in the preseason before eventually landing on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.
Irish kicker Charlie Smyth also came through the 2024 class to sign with the New Orleans Saints practice squad, while UK's Travis Clayton was drafted by the Buffalo Bills.
There are currently 23 IPP athletes on rosters across the league, among the most notable are Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata from Australia and UK's own Efe Obada, who is with the Washington Commanders.
Stona, who attended college at Arkansas and Clemson, was previously invited to rookie minicamps by the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints in May earlier this year.
IPP players can be acquired as a free agent or selected at the 2025 NFL Draft, with eligible players eligible to sign to an additional 17th practice squad roster spot reserved for international players.
Representing UK in the class of 2025 will be defensive tackle Dante Barnett, who previously spent time with the NFL Academy between 2019 and 2021 after starting playing football for a local youth team at the age of 15 after being on was built in Birmingham.
He will be joined by defensive lineman/linebacker Mapalo 'Maz' Mwansa, who joined the British National Team after being scouted while at Loughborough University.
“The Class of 2025 is an exciting one, and we are thrilled to welcome these talented athletes from around the world to the International Player Pathway program,” said Executive Vice President International, Events and Club Business at the NFL Peter O'Reilly.
“Focusing our global football development efforts and nurturing international talent is critical to growing our game globally. The IPP program offers life-changing opportunities for international talent, and We look forward to following their progress in the coming weeks and months.”
