John Cena made his way from the top of WWE to the top of Hollywood, but could he have made a pit stop in the NFL on his way? Before he became one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the WWE and a movie star, Cena actually had a college football career playing center for Springfield College.
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The WWE superstar started playing football in college and subsequently became the tri-captain of the Pride. Despite collecting accolades during his time in the NCAA, Cena didn’t consider a football career beyond his college field.
Three months ago, Cena revealed on the Up&Adams podcast his experience with college football and why he didn’t pursue the sport all the way to the big time. He said of his decision to not go for the draft:
“And I was very humble. I’m six feet I was 250 pounds. I knew that would be it and hopefully, I would be grateful to have a decent stay in college. And I knew my last game was the end of that chapter. So I think maybe that set me up for being okay with when the chapter ends and you know, still look forward to the life you got in front of you.”
Realistic with himself, Cena decided that college would be the end of the road for him, and in a way, he even got a life lesson out of the experience.
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Despite his football aspirations being limited to the college level, he raked in the accolades. Apart from being the captain during the season that the team went 9-2, he was named a Division III first-team All-American, as the Pride progressed to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
He was also named a Hewlett-Packard Division III First-Team All-American; and ECAC New England/Northeast Division III All-Star. However, Cena is not the only superstar wrestler who dabbled in football before making their way to the ring.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Promising Football Career Was Derailed By an Injury
Like John Cena, Johnson also dipped his hands in the NCAA playing pool during his college days. A high school player at Freedom High, he got into the University of Miami on a full ride. As a freshman, Johnson was dominant on the field as a defensive end.
A shoulder injury derailed that promising start though as he injured his shoulder, only to be replaced by someone who overshone him on the field. Warren Sapp took on his role and went on to have a storied college and NFL career. Sapp’s induction in his position meant Johnson wasn’t given much opportunity to play after returning from the injury, effectively ending his pro-football dreams.
