Which NFL team did WWE Superstar Roman Reigns play for?
Roman Reigns has achieved enormous success in his WWE career. He joined the company in 2010 as part of FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling). In November 2012, Reigns made his WWE main-roster debut as part of The Shield. The group disbanded in 2014 after a memorable two-year run.
Vince McMahon chose Reigns to be his next megastar. He wanted to build him as the next face of WWE. Thus, The Chairman decided to give a big push to the Samoan superstar after The Shield split.
During his first few years as a singles WWE competitor, Reigns struggled to establish himself as a reliable top talent. He often failed to get the desired reactions from the WWE Universe. However, he didn’t give up and continued to improve over time. Now, Roman Reigns is the biggest superstar in the pro wrestling industry.
But did you know that Roman wasn’t even supposed to be in WWE? Before joining his family profession, The Tribal Chief used to play football. His success at the high school and college levels led to his entry into the 2007 NFL Draft.
But why did he leave football? And which NFL team did he play for? In this article, let’s find the answers to all these questions by taking a look at Roman Reigns’ football career.
Which NFL Team did Roman Reigns play for?
Roman Reigns enrolled himself at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. He followed his passion there and joined the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Football team as a defensive tackle. In 2006, Reigns was named to the first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
He earned All-ACC first-team honors with 40 tackles, two recovered fumbles and 4.5 sacks. Roman Reigns’ impressive performances eventually led to his inclusion in the 2007 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, The Big Dog could not get selected and went undrafted. However, the Minnesota Vikings franchise later signed Roman in May 2007.
But things didn’t go well for the current WWE Universal Champion there, as he was released from the team within the same month. In August 2007, he was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars, only to be released a week before the NFL season premiere.
The Tribal Chief went to the CFL (Canadian Football League) in 2008. He played the entire season under the Edmonton Eskimos while featuring in five games. Roman proved to be a valuable asset for his team in their match against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
He succeeded in tying the team lead through his stellar performance, which included five tackles and a forced fumble. On 10th November 2008, Reigns was released from his CFL Team. It marked the end of Roman’s football career as he retired from Professional Football soon after.
Roman Reigns went on to become a megastar in WWE
Roman Reigns’ football retirement proved to be a blessing in disguise as he went on to make a name for himself in professional wrestling. In 2021, Roman Reigns finds himself at the top of the wrestling industry. He has done an exceptional job in continuing the legacy of his Samoan ancestors.