John Cena spills beans on contemplating NFL career during his NCAA Division III days
John Cena is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in WWE history and on the Mount Rushmore of many wrestling fans. Cena made the transition from being a WWE superstar to a bona fide star in Hollywood. However, there was a point in time when the wrestler-turned-actor could have been a star elsewhere.
In an interview with Up & Adams, Cena talked about his college football career and what could have been. He mentioned there was a life lesson as a result of his time playing the sport:
"I really found a home in the offensive line... And I was very humble. I'm six feet I was 250 pounds. I knew that would be it and hopefully, I would be grateful to have a decent stay in college."
"And I knew my last game was the end of that chapter. So I think maybe that set me up for being okay with when the chapter ends and you know, still look forward to the life you got in front of you."
Cena grew up in West Newbury, Massachusetts and graduated from Springfield College in 1999. The 13-time WWE champion was a tri-captain for the school's football team that went 9-2 in 1998 and advanced to the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
As a senior, the honors came in for John Cena. He was named a Division III first-team All-American, a Football Gazette All-American, an Eastern College Athletic Conference New England/Northeast Division III All-Star and a New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Star.
Which is John Cena's favorite NFL team?
The Massachusetts native, to no surprise, John Cena is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. In 2012, he was named the honorary captain for a New York Jets game against the Indianapolis Colts and led the J-E-T-S chants.
It was done as WWE's biggest show, WrestleMania, was to be held months later next year at MetLife Stadium. The WWE legend revealed back in 2017 that he was also a fan of the English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur. He admitted that he watched a Spurs game when WWE was in London in 2008.