'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQf/2gAIAQEAAAAAl5P/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA/9oACAECEAAAAH//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAF//xAAhEAACAQMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABRIEETETIVFxkf/aAAgBAQABPwC1C3DKJ9LDMsIaNDJHt1CSwOW3g8eqNhZiWRYih7g5Hj5X/8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgADFP/aAAgBAgEBPwDXaFP/xAAbEQACAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADBFHB8f/aAAgBAwEBPwAWdJ1xwDU//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE star Roman Reigns took to Logan Paul's ImPaulsive podcast to open up about his leukemia. For those unaware, Reigns was diagnosed with cancer when he was 22. In 2007, he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL.
However, he was soon released from the roster after the team discovered his health concerns. His cancer has since been twice in remission, in 2009 and 2018 (the latter happened while he was the WWE Universal Champion).
Trending
Speaking to the YouTuber, Roman Reigns revealed his initial thoughts and reaction to the diagnosis. He stated:
"It wasn't even believable."
Roman Reigns reveals how leukemia hindered his NFL career
Roman Reigns, like many WWE stars, started his career as an American football player. However, upon discovering his blood cancer, he was left out of the first team.
He spent a brief period with the Jacksonville Jaguars before joining the Edmonton Eskimos for a season in the Canadian Football League. He chose to retire from professional football after being released by the Eskimos.
(Timestamp: 22:01)
Speaking about his illness, Reigns revealed:
"So I compartmentalize emotions sometimes. So I think it was so overwhelming that it wasn't even believable."
He continued:
"You hear about younger people with blood cancer more often now, but back then, a 21-year-old, you know what I mean, coming straight outta college, a division 1 football player, supposed to be kind of peak health, right? Like, you never would expect that. So it put a huge asterisk on my name when it came to the NFL."
Furthermore, the 37-year-old revealed how his wife was pregnant at the time. He then credited his past as a stepping stone into adulthood. Reigns also briefly expressed his attitude of being a "glass half-full" kind of guy and his desire to create something "positive" out of "negative."
Fans react to the podcast
Logan Paul's podcast has hosted some of the most popular names within the internet community. With Reigns being his latest guest, fans showed a lot of appreciation towards the interview. Here are some of the comments:
Both Logan Paul and Roman Reigns discussed the former's entry into the WWE universe. The American YouTuber and social media star made his WWE debut in April 2021. The 27-year-old also appeared on the latest edition of WrestleMania earlier this year.
