Wrestlemania 28: Comparing John Cena and The Rock's Gridiron Potential

John Cena and The Rock were bred on the gridiron.

The pair of professional wrestlers faced off in Wrestlemania 28 on Sunday night. And while each of them put on a show, they both passed up a football career to do so.

According to Jim Varsellone of the Miami Herald, WWE superstar The Big Show previewed the two wrestlers’ matchup, saying:

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I’ve competed against both of them. In a lot of ways they’re bumping heads and fighting like two dogs in the backyard. Who’s going to be king of the yard? I don’t know. It’s a toss-up.

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Cena and The Rock left the pigskin to go to war to be the king of the yard, though.

Sports fans know The Rock’s story. 

Dwayne Johnson accepted a full ride to play football for Miami. He played defensive tackle on the school’s 1991 national championship team. If it weren’t for a back injury, Johnson would’ve been able to play football in the NFL.

At 6’5”, he definitely had the frame to become a force on the defensive line. Johnson actually signed a three-year deal in the CFL. But after a year, he went on to choose a different vocation.

Cena traveled the same route as Johnson—besides the fact that The Prototype’s path was significantly less glamorous. Outside of his acting career, Cena is linked closer to rapping than to football. But The Prototype was no slouch on the gridiron. 

He was a DIII All-American center at Springfield College. As an offensive lineman, Cena would’ve been forced to give up being a body builder to gain weight, but the skill set was there.

Cena wasn’t on The Rock’s level. But as a DIII All-American, he had the potential to join Johnson in the CFL or even another less prestigious professional league.

Given the fame they’ve garnered as WWE legends, it’s obvious that they chose the right career. But with their strong football backgrounds, it’s still interesting to imagine Cena and The Rock in the NFL—even if an experiment like Brock Lesnar’s didn’t work out.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels