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Dwayne Johnson Reveals Why He Wears #54 as He Goes Head on With NFL

Published 07/17/2022, 1:30 PM EDT

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Dwayne Johnson is one of the most influential human beings in the world. With his $800 million worth and multiple film projects, one might think that ‘The Rock’ is a high-class celebrity busy with his superstar life. But the truth is much more than that as Johnson is one of the most humble and down-to-earth celebrities.

In an interview with Jimmy Fallon, he admitted to having a terrible habit of surprising his friends and families with cars. Earlier this month, he gifted his cousin and WWE superstar, Tamina, a new car and a new house. The reason for this stems from the poverty that the Rock faced during his initial WWE days. And recently, DJ revealed one of his stories from back before all the glitz and glam.

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Dwayne Johnson reveals the true meaning behind the number 54

In a video that DJ posted, he said, “Lot of questions from you guys on why I wear the number 54. Well, I’m going to tell you the story. So long before my career in Hollywood, long before I was suplexing 300 lb men for a living as a professional wrestler. I had one dream, one focus, and one drive, and that was the game of football. And my goal was to make it to the NFL. There are 53 men on the NFL roster, I was always number 54.

 

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A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

DJ, you’re good but you’re not good enough. Unfortunately, this is where your dreams end and you can do nothing about it. When I was told I wasn’t good enough, the flame that lit inside me, the fuc*** chip that put on my shoulder would never go away.”

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“And I know there’s a lot of you out there who could relate to being the number 54. It’s not an athlete thing, it’s a human thing. When someone says you’re not good enough and you say fu** that, watch me.

Will The Rock’s dream be fulfilled?

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While we all know Dwayne Johnson for his amazing WWE moments and his blockbuster action films, the newest project on his hands might be the biggest thing he has been a part of. The XFL is an American football league that competed with the NFL.

WATCH THIS STORY: Soccer Legend Megan Rapinoe Wants Dwayne Johnson to Change the XFL Logo

But as Vince McMahon included a lot of gimmicks like pro wrestling in the game of football, which garnered heat from the football community. XFL had two seasons but filed for bankruptcy in 2020. Here, The Rock and his ex-wife came in and bought the company. And they have announced that the kickoff will be scheduled for February 18, 2023.

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Tell us what you think about Dwayne Johnson’s inspirational number 54 story in the comments below.

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Written by:

Murtaza Bharmal

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Murtaza Bharmal is a WWE and AEW writer at EssentiallySports. Pursuing an English Literature degree, he is very fond of both storytelling and the wrestling promotions. His passion for wrestling started when Randy Orton and John Cena were squaring it off in the ring, but it magnified when Sasha Banks and Bayley put on a masterpiece in NXT.
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Edited by:

Paras Pande