Roman Reigns is undoubtedly the longest reigning title holder in the WWE in the current era. The undisputed champion hails from the legendary Anoa’i family, the same family that includes The Rock and Rikishi. But before Reigns was main eventing WrestleManias for fun, he was busy pursuing another sport as his career.

The ‘Tribal Chief’, much like cousin Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, played football. Unlike Johnson, however, Reigns actually managed to sign contracts with NFL teams. So, whatever came of those contracts?

Two NFL teams, a couple of leagues, one full season: Roman Reigns’ tryst with football

As stated earlier, Reigns actually managed to outdo his cousin The Rock. While he managed to land in the highly sought NFL, his exploits were limited to off-season plays. Reigns, who played as ‘defensive tackle’ for Georgia Tech, signed with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL in 2007.

Interestingly, the Minnesota Vikings were the same NFL team Brock Lesnar played for in 2004. Little did Reigns know that he would main event three WrestleManias down the line. The Jacksonville Jaguars too have significance in the wrestling world as they are the same team run by Tony Khan who would later start All Elite Wrestling.

Despite a promising recruitment drive, unable to see his football career grow in the NFL, the Tribal Chief inked a deal with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2008. He played a full season and retired that year.

Playing for the green and gold, Reigns registered nine tackles in six games, as per the CFL website. “Anoa’i’s biggest game came on September 13th, a 38-33 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where the former Yellow Jacket tied for the team lead with five tackles and a forced fumble,” a report about Roman Reigns from cfl.ca read.

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In 2008, Reigns traded one physically demanding sport for another when he transitioned to pro wrestling, which has been his family’s business for decades. The detection of leukaemia also played a part in his retirement from the sport. Had Reigns not had it, things could have been different for the 38-year-old.

How was Roman Reigns as a football player?

It has been 15 years since Roman Reigns hung up his football boots. With no seasonal plays, one might wonder how good he was at the game. Well, for a start, he made it to the NFL. But circumstances forced him out.

Now, NFL legend Calvin Johnson, who was a teammate of Reigns at Georgia Tech, has revealed Reigns’ ability as a player. And if you’re a Roman Reigns fan, you’ll love it.

“He was just always like a badass, He didn’t say much, but when he did say something, you listened,” the former Detroit Lions wide receiver told TMZ Sports recently. Johnson, regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers in the NFL, showering lavish praise just adds to Reigns’ credibility as a football star.

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Knowing Johnson’s assessment of Reigns, do you think it was a big miss for the NFL? Let us know in the comments.