It’s remarkable to think given his trajectory over the last quarter of a century that Dwayne Johnson never even wanted to be a professional wrestler to begin with, never mind an actor.
Instead of following in the family business by taking to the squared circle or conquering the silver screen, a young Johnson instead harbored dreams of making it in the NFL, something he was emboldened by even further after being a part of the Miami Hurricanes’ 1991 national championship-winning team.
He spent four years honing his gridiron skills before being completely snubbed by the biggest outfit in the business, opting to sign on with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 1995, where was cut only two months into the season. Running out of options, it was then he decided that maybe wrasslin’ wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
These days, he’s one of the most famous people on the planet and an A-list megastar, but the sentiment hasn’t been lost on the actor and producer as he humbly reflected on his old haunt at the University of Miami unveiling its Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson locker room.
The Hurricanes may have seen their fair share of quality players and future Hall of Famers over the years, but the squad has never boasted an alumni that can even come close to matching Johnson’s global profile and worldwide fame. It was the site where his first and earliest dream died a painful death, but it would be fair to say he recovered in spectacular style.
