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5 WWE Superstars that earned scholarships at college

Ryback played college baseball before winding up in the WWE.

It should come as no surprise that various WWE athletes have a background in other sports. Being at WWE superstar requires varying degrees of agility, strength, quickness and other skills that would also come in quite handy in other disciplines.

Some of these superstars were so good at their chosen sport that they ended up playing collegiately, with some even earning scholarships. Here are five of those superstars and the colleges they called home before entering a WWE ring.


#5 Big E

Big E went to the University of Iowa on a football scholarship.

Before he was part of the New Day, currently the WWE Tag Team Champions, and a powerlifter, Big E was an American football player. Big E, real name Ettore Ewen, even signed a football scholarship at the University, where he was a defensive lineman for a season.

The skills that landed him a gig with a major football program are evident in the WWE ring. He has a rare blend of size, strength, speed and agility that would have been difficult to block on the football field. Maybe the Power of Positivity would have also paid off.

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