AJ Francis Interview: Joining WWE NXT, "Most Wanted Treasures", Playing In The NFL, More

You signed with WWE at practically the perfect time, because had you or the company waited any longer, there's a good chance it wouldn't have happened because of the pandemic.

Francis: Honestly, it was a blessing and a curse because COVID ruined everybody's lives, so I'm not alone in feeling that way and I don't want to throw a pity party for myself, but I feel like if I didn't have to spend six months not being able to go in and train at the Performance Center and showing the trainers what I could do and missing more time because of the show, I feel like I'd already be on TV. It was perfect timing because if they were supposed to bring me in in April, I'm done. I can't take the good without taking the bad, so it's a blessing that I got there just in time. I definitely wish that COVID had never come into this world and I know that there's about seven billion people that agree with me.

How did your involvement with "WWE's Most Wanted Treasures" come about?

Francis: When you come from the NFL, people think you're handpicked and chosen to do everything and that you're given everything. It's the same reason why a lot of wrestling fans would boo Roman Reigns because they don't think he's deserving of the spot. People think everything is handed to you, but the true story as to how I was picked for this show is that my high school friend that I used to play basketball with is an actor in Hollywood and he knows one of the producers of the show. Right before COVID happened, one of the last things they had to do was find out who would be on the road with the legends and they couldn't do a casting call.

They were talking and she said, “I'm working on this show with WWE,” and he said, “You should check out my boy,” and then she followed me on social media and loved everything and pitched me to the show-runners and everyone responsible with the show and they said, “Yes! Let's get him!” They pitched me to WWE and WWE was like, “Uh, yeah, sure, we're not doing anything with him, so go ahead.” It was cool because I could have spent the last nine months sitting at home training when I could like everybody else in my position at the PC, but I spent it on the road with legends trying to reclaim their legacy, so I don't have much to complain about.

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