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The world knows Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a former WWE superstar and now a movie star and philanthropist. But what many would not know is that he played college football on a full scholarship.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson played college football at Miami
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was a standout football player in high school. He played defensive end and earned a full scholarship to the University of Miami. He was the backup defensive end for the Hurricanes, starting just one game in college because Warren Sapp was the starter. Johnson was a member of the 1991 National Championship.
After graduating from the University of Miami, Johnson signed with the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders. His time in the CFL was short, though, as he was cut just months later. As a result, he never played on an NFL team.
WWE career
After being cut from the Stampeders, Johnson decided to forego any further football opportunities and began a career as a professional wrestler in 1996. This eventually led to Johnson joining the WWE (formerly WWF) scene and becoming a household name. Johnson continued to wrestle with the WWE until 2007 when his contract ended and he began acting full-time. He has made appearances at various WWE events since officially retiring from wrestling.
In 2016, he created his own Under Armor line called "Project Rock," which specifically catered to athletes. The line began with just a small amount of items but now includes apparel, bags, sneakers and even an app.
"The Rock" and the XFL
WWE CEO Vince McMahon tried to bring back the XFL, an American Football League that was once created in 2001. The eight-team league was started afresh again in early 2020 but it had to stop after five weeks of play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. McMahon later announced that the XFL was bankrupt and wouldn't resume play.
Being a huge supporter of sports and football in particular, Johnson and his business partner Dany Garcia, as well as RedBird Capital, bought the XFL just before it would have been auctioned off. While it will take a lot of work, the trio plan to bring back the XFL back in 2022.
The XFL is an opportunity for players who haven't been drafted or were cut by NFL teams to make a name for themselves. Some players who participated in the XFL in 2020 also got opportunities in the NFL this past season.
