Before he became one of the most successful and popular wrestlers and actors, Dwayne Johnson was an excellent football player. He started playing football in high school and was ranked among the top 10 defensive tackles in the nation by the time he was a senior. Johnson continued playing football in college as well and was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
His time in the CFL was short-lived, as he was cut just after two months with the team, after which he pursued a career in professional wrestling. However, during a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the Black Adam star revealed that he loved football and thought of it as a career option until he was cut from the CFL.
Dwayne Johnson Did Not Want to be a Professional Wrestler
During his recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, shared insight into his football career and how he decided to join WWE. The Jumanji star, whose father was also a wrestler, grew up watching him in the ring.
However, he did not want to be a part of that world as his father often advised him against it, saying, “You don’t want to get in this business. Look at me! I don’t have anything!” The actor shared that although it has grown to be a great industry, where wrestlers make millions today, it was not the same back in the 80s.
Johnson further said that while he loved wrestling, he also wanted to support and take care of his family by making “a lot of money.” The Hollywood star further shared that by that time, his family never lived in a house, and he wanted to buy his parents their first house.
He believed that a football career would allow him to do everything he wanted to do for his family. “I started playing football, that’s my ticket,” he said on the podcast. However, he eventually decided to follow his intuition to pursue wrestling after he was cut from the CFL.
Dwayne Johnson Denied the Offer to Return to CFL
Further into his interview, Dwayne Johnson shared that once he came back to live with his parents, he got a call from the head coach of the Calgary Stampeders, Wally Buono. The coach called him with an offer to return to the team in the next season.
However, he politely rejected his offer. He then told the same to his father, Rocky Johnson, who was listening to his whole conversation. Johnson shared that his father was furious, and they had a huge argument over his decision to leave football.
And it continued after he told him that he wanted to join the family business. While he did not agree with him at first, The Rock was able to convince his father and told him, “I would love for you to train me.” It turned out to be a life-changing decision for him.
He also reflected on how wrestling has played a pivotal role in his family over the years. And now he has the privilege to watch his daughter Simone Johnson, also known as Ava Raine, following in his footsteps. The actor also shared that it has also brought him closer to his daughter, as he was not able to spend much time while she grew up.
Source: The Pivot Podcast
