The National Tackle Football Association (NTFA) continues to change the local sports landscape, building on the monumental success of the All Jamaica Gridiron Bowl held on April 19 at Jamaica College.

The event, which featured elite coaching from SCORE International and a thrilling showdown between Team Blue and Team White, has already unlocked opportunities for Jamaican athletes, including scholarship offers, name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, and professional contract considerations.

On June 26, the NTFA, in collaboration with Sul Ross State University, hosted a high-stakes gridiron showcase at the UWI Mona Bowl, evaluating 35 of Jamaica’s top football prospects.

Coaches Lee Hays (SRSU) and Todd Hays (Jamaica Bobsled Federation) led the event, seeking the next wave of elite talent—and what they discovered exceeded all expectations.

The athletes displayed exceptional size, speed, strength, and technical discipline, excelling in:

• Speed & agility testing

• Position-specific drills

• Offensive/defensive skill evaluations

Coach Lee Hays remarked: “I was extremely excited about the opportunity to come to Jamaica and evaluate these athletes—not just as players, but as people. The results were better than I could have hoped!”

Scholarship offers & rising stars

The showcase yielded immediate scholarship commitments and strong interest from NCAA programmes:

Full scholarship recipients (Sul Ross State University – NCAA Division II)

• Tyrece “Tank” Thompson – “Like the great Muhammad Ali said, I’m going to show you how great I am.”

• Sheldon Clarke – “The past is a memory and the future doesn’t exist. Live now in the present”.

• Nejhaun “Fridge” Johnson – “Gridiron football gave me a purpose; this scholarship gave me a path.”

• Dantae Bennett (previously offered by Johnson C. Smith University).

Additional athletes under review for scholarships

• Kyano Carter (May Day High)

• Daniel Thompson (Munro College)

• Kemar Bucknor (Munro College)

SRSU has also extended conditional offers to several elite underclassmen, pending academic eligibility and NCAA clearinghouse approval.

NIL and the US$1.67 billion college sports market

With the NCAA’s new revenue-sharing model (2025-26) allowing up to US$20.5 million per school, athletes now benefit from dual-income streams:

1. Institutional revenue sharing (averaging US$146,151 for football players in Power 5 schools).

2. Third-party NIL deals (brand sponsorships, social media, camps).

Jamaican athletes stand to gain:

• NFL-IPP, CFL, and NCAA pathways (earning potential: US$25,000–US$500,000+ annually).

• Financial literacy programmes via NTFA partnerships.

NTFA expansion: Evaluating schools for future competitions

The NTFA says it is actively scouting high schools island-wide to integrate them into upcoming competitions. To this end, the association hopes to foster youth development through structured football programmes, academic-athletic balance (scholarship readiness) and economic growth via sports tourism (targeting 10,000–15,000 annual visitors).

Looking ahead

NTFA executives Bryan Wilson, Steve Hudson, and Jerome Harriott are thrilled with the showcase’s success and\ plan to expand future evaluations, inviting more NCAA programmes and corporate sponsors.

Jerome Harriott, NTFA founder, stated:“Jamaica has dominated track & field—now we’re conquering gridiron football. The NTFA is creating jobs, scholarships, and global opportunities for our youth.”

“These Jamaican athletes have the talent to compete with anyone. The world needs to take notice,” added Brad Nelson, former coach at Catholic High Baton Rouge.