WWE Tough Enough: 10 Things to Know About 'Silent Rage' Andy Leavine

Just over a week ago, it was announced on Monday Night Raw that Andy Leavine had achieved his dream. 

He was named the winner of WWE Tough Enough and now has a contract with the company (well, a second one, anyway).

Of course, some would say that winning the competition isn't a necessity--guys like The Miz and Matt Morgan lost the competition, yet have made it farther in the wrestling world than someone like Season 1 winner Maven.

But winning a show such as Tough Enough obviously can't hurt, and Leavine is now in a position that thousands of indy wrestlers would love to be in: Signed to the world's biggest wrestling promotion, the WWE.

Just who is Leavine, though, and what should we know about this--perhaps--future star?

No worries, I've got you covered.

Here are 10 things you need to know about Tough Enough Season 5 winner "Big Andy" Leavine.

10. He's a Family Man

While competing on Tough Enough, Leavine spent a lot of time talking about his wife, his daughter and the fact that he had another baby on the way.

In fact, Leavine's wife gave birth to a son, Balder Joe-Augustus Leavine, last Friday, so the Leavine family has indeed grown by one just since "Big Andy" won the show nine days ago.

It'll be interesting now, though, to see if Leavine takes his Tough Enough "gimmick" to the WWE.

What I mean by that is that Leavine portrayed himself as the ultimate family man on the show, a guy who would do whatever it took to provide for his wife and kids.

I'm not saying that isn't true--as evidenced by the show, it is--but I wonder whether he'll stick to that persona in the WWE.

After all, if you re-watch Monday's Raw, you'll see that it's what got him over with the fans in the first place. 

9. He's Less of a Risk Than Luke Robinson

Obviously, this is based strictly on my own opinion, but I think the main reason why Andy Leavine won Tough Enough is because he poses less of a risk than runner-up Luke Robinson.

With Luke, you have a cocky, arrogant party animal who comes across as a bit forced at times and might never be taken seriously as a heel by the WWE audience.

But with Andy, you have a self-described family man, a former football player, a big guy and a former amateur wrestler.

He doesn't seem like a guy who's going to get into much trouble, and company officials likely see him as a good representation of the WWE brand.

Thus, having him win Tough Enough is a choice that may not result in huge returns--like pay-per-view buys and merchandise sales--but won't come back to haunt the WWE down the road.

8. He Needs to Be Taken off WWE TV Immediately

A good way to kill the potential of a future star is by putting him on TV before he's even remotely ready.

And Andy Leavine has no business appearing on WWE programming on a weekly basis.

Like Jackson Andrews--remember him?--Mason Ryan and David Otunga have taught us in the recent past, you don't want someone who's incredibly green on the main roster.

Get "Big Andy" off of TV for at least six months to a year, and then bring him back when he's ready and the right angle is, too.

7. Football Should Give Him a Solid Athletic Background

Not all former professional athletes make an easy transition to the ring, but Leavine's NFL background can certainly help.

After starting over 40 games as an offensive lineman at FIU and attending mini-camp for the Miami Dolphins, it's clear that Leavine is a hard worker and a pretty solid athlete.

He's going to take that same dedication and athleticism that got him so far in football and simply apply it to wrestling.

Because if there's one thing we know, it's that you can teach someone how to do a body slam or an ankle lock...for the most part. But you can't teach work ethic. 

6. He's Working on a New Look

Leavine, who referred to himself as "Silent Rage" during his run on Tough Enough, may not be on the WWE's main roster yet, but he seems to have a plan for "Silent Rage."

From FIUSports.com: 

Leavine said he's working on a costume for Silent Rage, but would not disclose what it is.

 "I got some stuff that is in the works," he said. "People are going to have to tune in to see what I will be wearing."

Of course, this isn't earth-shattering news, but it is something to think about it. Many times a wrestler's look can play a huge role in how the crowd reacts to him.

Give him a goofy outfit--like King Sheamus--and no one will really take him seriously. Give him a good one--like Alberto Del Rio--and the fans will believe that the character he is portraying is real.

So, the WWE brass better make sure that Leavine's outfit works for him, because--sorry, Zack Ryder--but the last thing we need to see is another set of wrestling tights like these. 

5. He Needs a Ton of Work on His Mic Skills and Charisma

If you watched most of the Tough Enough season, it was pretty clear that "Big Andy" was big in size and stature but small when it came to his persona.

Let me rephrase: Leavine has the mic skills of The Great Khali, and is about as charismatic as a pencil.

OK, maybe that was a little harsh. But my point is that Leavine needs a boatload of work in the personality department.

I get that he's relatively new to the business. I get that he was nervous speaking in front of millions of viewers on Raw last week. I would be, too.

But the guy better spend some time studying the great talkers and showmen of the business while down in FCW, or he'll wind up being just another boring big man.

4. He's One Strong Dude

Strength: Some people are born with it, some people work hard to get it, and some hardly have any.

But Leavine appears to be somewhere in the middle of the first two, a guy who works his tail off in the gym but is blessed with a plethora of natural strength as well.

Want evidence? Watch this video, and you'll see that Leavine holds Florida International University's power clean record with a lift of 365 pounds.

In other words, he's really, really strong.

And just look at someone like Mark Henry as an example of how far incredible strength can take you in the WWE.

3. He Fits the Mold of the Prototypical WWE Star

In case you didn't know, Vince McMahon has one very unhealthy obsession with big guys.

He loves them, he loves to push them, and he's not afraid to push them even if all they are is big.

For example, let's take a look at the billed height and weight of some current main roster members, according to WWE.com:

Sheamus: 6'6", 272 pounds

Mason Ryan: 6'6", 272 pounds

Chris Masters: 6'4", 265 pounds

Wade Barrett: 6'5", 260 pounds

Ezekiel Jackson: 6'4", 309 pounds

Well, as you probably know, Andy Leavine fits the WWE mold to a T. He's a legitimate 6'5", 265 pounds, he's strong, and he's got a good look.

In turn, that means he's got all the tools to be pushed to the moon in the WWE.

2. He's Actually a Wrestler

Before "Big Andy" became a professional wrestler, Andy Leavine was an amateur one.

In high school, he spent four years competing for his school's varsity wrestling squad, racking up over 90 wins in the process.

Leavine follows in the footsteps of current WWE stars like Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler, who have extensive amateur wrestling backgrounds and have risen to the top of pro wrestling--at least partly--because of it.

While there are obviously differences between the two, I highly doubt you'd hear Rhodes or Ziggler deny that their amateur backgrounds have a huge influence on who they are today.

And neither would Andy Leavine. 

1. He's Already Been Under Contract with the WWE

Here's the part that has a lot of people thinking there's a Tough Enough conspiracy: Andy Leavine has previously been under contract with the WWE.

Early last year, he signed a developmental deal with the company and was working down in FCW as "Kevin Hackman" until February 2011, when he was granted his release in order to participate on this season of Tough Enough.

Like many others, it leads me to believe that Leavine may have been the pick all along, and therefore, him winning the show was a formality more so than anything else.

But the WWE will, of course, never acknowledge that.