The Man, the Myth, the Legend Vol. 2: Lex Luger
The Total Package Lex Luger had a distinguished career that became mired in controversy. Here are ten moments from the life and career of the Total Package.
Lex Luger is perhaps the best example of the great American Jock. Someone who pushes himself to the heights of excellence, and develops an ego to match. A man with undisputed athletic ability and fierce discipline, who nonetheless manages to behave like a frat boy on and off the field.
Luger's fiery alpha male temperament got him into hot water early in his athletic career. He was kicked off the now defunct Miami Hurricanes for trashing his hotel room in a temper tantrum. It seemed that Luger wanted very much to be a starter but that was to be and he responded inappropriately.
As his NFL career lay in ruins, he took up professional wrestling. Here, his over the top jock persona was an asset. Luger moved up the ranks of the NWA Florida territories quickly through virtue of his great look and clear, concise speech on the mike.
From there Luger would embark on a career that has seen more highs and lows, more tragedy and triumph than one human being should be able to endure. Here are ten major moments from Luger's life and career.
#1 One door closes, another one opens...
Lex Luger desperately wanted to be an NFL star, like many of his contemporaries. However, in spite of his size and strength he didn't quite make the cut for the starting line up when he attended the University of Miami. In a fit of rage, he destroyed his hotel room and caused so much drama he was cut from the team.
While this isn't one of his best moments, it does illustrate an important point about Lex Luger; He is a fiercely competitive and passionate athlete.
Luger would go on to play for both the Canadian Football League and the American Football League, and was signed by the Green Bay Packers but never played a game. When it was obvious his football career was going nowhere, he turned to pro wrestling.