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When looking at some of the greatest WWE superstars of all time, there are several who began their sporting careers elsewhere, or have otherwise tried their hands at a different career at some point. The likes of The Rock and Brock Lesnar are two notable individuals who delved into the world of American Football, before realizing that this wasn’t a feasible dream. Another who started off down this route was the most dominant modern champion in WWE history, Roman Reigns, whose football career may not be widely known to even the most avid WWE fans. He had an up and down (though mostly down) time when it came to his ventures into football.
Roman Reigns Showcased A Lot Of Football Talent In High School And College
Roman Reigns may be a part of the legendary Anoa’i dynasty - one of the most notable families in professional wrestling history, including the likes of the Wild Samoans, Yokozuna, The Rock, and The Usos, along with many, many more, but he didn’t initially grow up with “WWE Champion” in his sights and dreams. Even though Reigns is clearly a natural in professional wrestling, with star power written all over him, he started out his search for success in a much different way.
Whilst in Pensacola High School, Reigns began playing football, taking that on to another high school. At the start of his career, things looked very positive for Reigns, as he was even crowned as Defensive Player of the Year during his senior year, per the Pensacola News Journal. Reigns then moved onto college, attending the Georgia Institute of Technology, in which along with his studies, he also continued playing football.
In his Georgia Tech profile, he was described to be a “tough, hard-nosed player with very good quickness”. He had consistently good statistics, seemingly becoming more integral every year, with him becoming a team captain by the time his senior year rolled around. In terms of college football, his profile also states that he finished 9th in the nation in terms of pass efficiency defense. For all intents and purposes, Reigns looked to be set for big things in the world of football, with his high school and college career going well for the most part. He would also then be named in the All-ACC first team, receiving honors ahead of the 2007 NFL Draft.
Roman Reigns Didn’t Get Drafted To The NFL In 2007
During the NFL Draft, one of Reigns’ teammates from the Georgia Tech yellow jackets, Calvin Johnson, was the number two draft pick, just behind JaMarcus Russel. In contrast to Reigns, Johnson would go on to be considered up there with the best wide receivers in NFL history. Unfortunately, despite a lot of potential, Reigns went undrafted in 2007. Not long later, he was signed to the Minnesota Vikings, which hinted at a potential change in his fortunes.
However, disaster would strike for Reigns as he was diagnosed with leukemia, beginning a battle which would crop up more than once throughout his life - notably returning in 2018 during his reign as WWE Universal Champion, causing him to relinquish the title to fight off cancer once again. Unfortunately for Reigns, his leukemia would see him get released after just a month, causing another blow to his chances of success. He was then signed to the now Shahid and Tony Khan-led Jacksonville Jaguars, though this was a few years before the now-AEW owner was a part of the team. However, Reigns was once again released, not managing to make it to the start of the 2007 NFL season.
Roman Reigns’ Football Career Ended In 2008
After a break, Roman Reigns found himself playing football once again, but it wasn’t in the NFL. Reigns was signed to the Edmonton Eskimos, playing in the Canadian Football League. Whilst this wasn’t the perfect scenario, it was certainly better than nothing for Reigns. Throughout the season, Reigns was featured in just five games, though he did showcase his defensive prowess on occasion. It wasn’t enough though, as Reigns was once again released from his third straight team.
In 2008, Reigns decided to call it a day on football, instead focussing on other avenues - for instance, working alongside The Usos in furniture removal. It wasn’t long though until he found himself following in the footsteps of his father and several other members of his family, as he was pulled towards WWE, signing with WWE developmental, and the rest is history. It is probably for the best that Reigns’ football career ended on such a poor note, as it likely caused a drive to prove himself, as he is now perhaps the number one name in the entire professional wrestling industry.
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