In the first two episodes of Young Rock, Dwayne Johnson saw his NFL dreams shattered after being overlooked in the draft. Other elite players were prioritized despite him being a veteran of the sport.
Young Rock boasts about being historically accurate to Dwayne Johnson's struggles. So, are the claims made in the NBC series fact or fiction? As it turns out, Johnson's NFL aspirations were in full flow during his college days.
Dwayne Johnson, in his teens, played as a defensive tackle for the Miami Hurricanes from 1990-94. He impressed coach Ed Orgeron with his capabilities as a freshman and even won them a National Championship. However, his career took a halt when he suffered multiple injuries to his shoulders and knees.
2013 NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp took over Dwayne's responsibilities. He outshined The Great One, which eventually led to the latter's exclusion from the 1994 draft. Later, Johnson was signed as a linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, only to be let go after a few months.
Dwayne Johnson disclosed he has sour relations with an NFL legend
An icon of WWE's Attitude Era, it is no wonder Dwayne Johnson's 'swagger' was also seen in his NFL interviews. The People's Champion made a statement that he immediately regretted after making it to the Calgary team.
In his first interview, Dwayne was asked about his future goals, to which he replied going 18-0 up in his next match and winning the Grey Cup. His boastful words gave him a bad reputation in the eyes of Doug Flutie.
"Doug [Flutie] probably does not remember me in Calgary, but I remember him," said The Rock. "As the team leader, he was not a fan of me popping off. The last thing he needed was another mark on his back."
During the 1984 season, Boston College's Dough Flutie butted heads with Miami's Dwayne Johnson. Both teams were engaged in the Orange Bowl. In the climax, Flutie threw a Hail Mary, a long pass that resulted in a game-winning touchdown.
"I was a fan of his quarterback and leadership skills for Calgary. But when he was with Boston College, he threw that Hail Mary against my [Miami] team. So was I a fan? In two words: Hell, no! We didn't know each other that well, and after my '18-0' headline, we didn't talk much." [H/T USAToday]
Between Doug Flutie and Dwayne Johnson, the 1995 Calgary Stampeders—who lost the Grey Cup finals to Baltimore(!)—now boast a combined 18 WWE title reigns.
— Robert (@ghostofquinones) February 7, 2021
(A third team member, Marvin "Big Daddy" Pope, wrestled briefly for Stampede.) https://t.co/5tm0C0z0Vj