Meet Rocky Kolone, Stillwater’s newest dominant Kolone wearing No. 7 on defense

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Sometime before the end of Stillwater’s 2025 football season, Rocky Kolone remembers his older brother, Nehemiah Kolone, running an idea past him.

“He said, ‘You should go to No. 7 after I leave,’” Rocky, a sophomore defensive end, recalls.

At that time, Rocky was a freshman wearing No. 44 while Nehemiah wore No. 7 as the Pioneers’ dominant senior defensive end and one of the top recruits in the state. Nehemiah was soon heading off to play college football at BYU, though, and that meant Stillwater’s No. 7 jersey was about to open up.

Of course, it had to be passed on to another Kolone, and Rocky was excited to carry the torch.

“It’s just like a family number,” he said. “I’ve gotta keep No. 7 strong and make sure that it’s doing good.”

Rocky Kolone comes from a talented family that’s left a legacy in Pioneer athletics in recent years, but now he’s looking to make his own mark. Kolone is off to a great start as a sophomore and is building himself up to be a cornerstone of the Stillwater defense as the Pioneers (2-2) head into their district opener at 7 p.m. Friday against Ponca City (4-1) at Pioneer Stadium.

Stillwater coach Chad Cawood said Kolone is very smart and can be used anywhere. He plays defensive end but can line up at any spot on the defensive line, plus linebacker. On offense, Kolone is brought in as an in-line tight end and can also play fullback and slot receiver.

“When you’re a sophomore and you can do all those things, man, you create some big-time value for yourself on a football team,” Cawood said.

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Stillwater sophomore defensive end Rocky Kolone sacks Fayetteville quarterback Aron Orgil in the second half of the Pioneers’ 23-3 win Aug. 28 at Pioneer Stadium.

Two weeks ago, Owasso came out throwing lots of quick passes into the flats, and Cawood, defensive line coach Derrick Anderson and linebackers coach Dan Nickles made a formation change to counter the quick-pass attack.

The Pioneers went to a front with only two down linemen and four linebackers instead of three. Kolone was the lineman who moved to linebacker in some of those fronts.

“I was surprised when they said that,” Kolone said.

And it worked just like Cawood planned, even though he said that’s not a defensive front Kolone and the unit had practiced.

“That tells you how good that sophomore is when he can go do that,” Cawood said.

Kolone’s move to linebacker in that spot might be a little foreshadowing, though. Cawood said Kolone is tough, physical and has many of the same traits as his older brother, but he’s an undersized DE – listed at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds – who reminds the staff of senior middle linebacker Bryson Brown.

Brown, a Baylor commit, is 6-1 and 211 pounds and was also an undersized defensive end as a sophomore with a similar frame to Kolone’s. Brown then made the switch to Mike linebacker, where he’s been a force for the Pioneers.

“Don’t be surprised if down the road you don’t see Rocky moving to Mike linebacker,” Cawood said.

So far this season, Kolone has recorded 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. He leads each of those statistical categories among non-seniors.

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Stillwater defensive end Rocky Kolone (7) celebrates a sack Aug. 28 against Fayetteville.

Kolone has put in the work to be in a position to play such meaningful snaps and have the production he’s had. In the offseason, he hit the weight room and bulked up from 185 pounds a year ago to nearly 200 now. It also took a lot of food.

“I just like spam and rice,” Kolone said. “Spam, rice and eggs.”

Cawood isn’t surprised to see Kolone’s impact. He doesn’t talk much, works hard and is as tough as they come.

“It’s just the way that he’s been raised,” Cawood said. “A really good family, and his brother was the same way. They bring a lunch-pail mentality every day, doing the things that they need to do.”

Kolone credits his family, too. He’s grown up playing linebacker but made a switch to defensive end, and his father constantly worked with him outside of practice to learn the new role.

Then there was just growing up in a competitive household alongside Nehemiah and his older sister, Michelle.

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Nehemiah Kolone (7), the older brother of Rocky Kolone puts pressure on the Union quarterback Sept. 5, 2025, during Nehemiah Kolone's senior season. Rocky Kolone now wears his brother's No. 7.

“Always competing with the siblings – and never beating them at anything,” Kolone said. “Even when we were just playing games. Playing on the Xbox, Nehemiah would always destroy me. We’re outside running, Michelle just dusted us both.

“I think that did help a lot and pushed me to get better.”

And how could it not. Nehemiah ranked fourth in the state in sacks as a senior, garnering offers from nine Division-I programs. He is now a freshman defensive tackle at BYU.

Michelle is the reigning state champ in discus and the Lady Pioneer softball team’s top slugger. She’s also the No. 79 recruit nationally in the class of 2028 and recently committed to play at BYU.

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Stillwater High sophomore Michelle Kolone celebrates hitting a three-run home run during an Oct. 8, 2025, regional tournament game against Southmoore at Couch Park.

“You know, you better be good or you’ll get left behind in that house when your older brother and older sister are doing the things they’re doing,” Cawood said. “Well, guess what? Rocky’s just as skilled, and he’s gonna be fun to watch.”

Kolone is making a name for himself, and it’s already been fun for Cawood to watch. It just feels right seeing another Kolone wearing No. 7 shooting around the edge on Friday nights.

“I’ll keep a Kolone in 7 as long as they’ll let me,” Cawood said.

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