Last weekend at WrestleMania 33, New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski jumped into the ring to help his friend Mojo Rawley with the fourth annual André the Giant Memorial battle royal. Fresh off winning the Super Bowl, Gronk did what many NFL players have done before him, step into the squared-circle. Prior to winning the battle royal, Gronk's friend Rawley manned the defensive line for the University of Maryland.
Many of WWE's top stars, including those in top matches at last week's show have either played professional football or come from a football background. Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, who fought over the Universal championship, both played in the NFL. Goldberg played for the Rams, Falcons, and Panthers, and Lesnar played in the preseason for the Vikings. Roman Reigns, the guy bestowed with the honor of retiring the Undertaker, played for the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos and had brief preseason stints with the Vikings and Jaguars. John Cena, who actually got engaged at "The Ultimate Thrill Ride," was an All-American center for Division III Springfield College. Bray Wyatt, who unsuccessfully defended the coveted WWE Championship, was an offensive lineman at Troy University.
Two of WWE's biggest stars ever, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock, also come from football backgrounds. Austin got a full football scholarship from the University of North Texas. The Rock played defensive tackle at the University of Miami and was famously a part of the Hurricanes' 1991 national championship winning team. He also had a brief stint with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. Other than Austin, Rock, Goldberg, Lesnar, Cena, Reigns, Wyatt, and Rawley, other WWE stars who played professional or college football include "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Brian Pillman, Ron Simmons, Ernie Ladd, Baron Corbin, Lex Luger, Marcus Cor Von, Tino Sabbatelli, Vader, Wahoo McDaniel, Enzo Amore, Big E, The Usos, Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Jack Swagger, Erick Rowan, Kane, JBL, Paul Orndorff, Tito Santana, Ahmed Johnson, Steve McMichael, Bronko Nagurski, and Darren Drozdov.
WWE even had a WWE Superstar vs. NFL Player battle royal at WrestleMania 2. It featured many wrestlers and football players going head-to-head. It is most remembered for Chicago Bears legend William "The Refrigerator" Perry eliminating WWE Hall of Famer Big John Studd. Perry also eliminated WWE's Tony Atlas. The match was won by WWE Hall of Famer André the Giant. In 2006, Perry was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor main-evented WrestleMania XI against Bam Bam Bigelow. It is the only time in history that a NFL player main-evented a WrestleMania.
The transition from football into wrestling has been a smooth and seamless one for so many. It has been a natural progression over the years. Some have been more successful than others but football has nonetheless proved to be a stepping stone into a professional career for a good amount of WWE's stars. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock are arguably the most popular wrestlers ever. John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Goldberg were all mega stars and faces of the franchise in their respective eras. Roman Reigns is on his way to being an all-time great and he's arguably WWE's top star right now. And if WWE has their way, Baron Corbin and Big E will get there too. At the very least, it's something to think about for football players who have retired, stepped away from football due to injury, or didn't make the NFL. Success is out there for them, and it's in the WWE.
