10 Secret Pasts Of WWE Wrestlers

7. Big E

Big E Football
WWE/Instagram/@wwebige

Players from Iowa State probably didn't look over to see Big E gyrating his hips or playing air guitar during tense Cy-Hawk Trophy games against the Hawkeyes. E wasn't quite part of WWE's New Day group or a larger-than-life cartoon character back when he played college football.

Back then, he was a defensive lineman who was there to bulldoze opponents, not offer them pancakes. Again, this is something WWE's commentators skim over and barely mention at all; if Jim Ross was still the promotion's lead play-by-play man, he'd surely make a big deal out of E's real-sports background.

Boomer sooner!

Post-college, E decided to leave football behind in favour of powerlifting. That's something WWE obviously felt more comfortable talking about. His original gimmick pre-New Day was a weightlifting champ who chalked his hands before matches.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.