10 Things You Didn't Know About Roman Reigns
8. He Was On The Same NFL Team As Brock Lesnar
Reigns may have been destined for wrestling, but by the time he was in high school, football became his goal. He was named Pensacola News Journal's Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, and he went on to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets alongside future Detroit Lions superstar Calvin Johnson.
Like most college football players, Reigns had NFL dreams, but he went undrafted in 2007. Shortly thereafter, he was signed by the Minnesota Vikings, but he was cut in under a month. After an even-briefer tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Reigns played a season with the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos. He was released after the season and retired from football.
Reigns isn't the only former WWE Champion who can boast a tenure with the Vikings, though. After leaving WWE in 2004, Brock Lesnar - who hadn't played football since high school - was signed to the Vikings' practice squad. Though he recovered from an auto accident to put on an impressive showing at the training camp, he was ultimately cut before the season started. Like Reigns, his NFL tenure was brief.
Prior to WrestleMania 31, the Vikings' Twitter handle sent out congratulations to both former players on their impending main event.