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Everything You Need to Know About the History Between Dwayne Johnson and NFL Legend Ray Lewis

Published 11/27/2023, 1:00 PM EST

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One of the passions that Dwayne Johnson publicly displays about himself is his interest in the sport of American football. Not only does The Rock own a football league, but he has actually been a part of one during his younger days. Having played on a team as a collegiate athlete, Johnson had the honor of running across the field alongside many future NFL legends.

One of his companions at the time was Ray Lewis. The linebacker met Johnson way back when he was in his freshman year. As students of the University of Miami, both legends crossed paths and eventually formed a strong bond.

Dwayne Johnson still hasn’t forgotten about his friend

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As a student at the University of Miami and a football fan, Johnson joined the college team. The iconic team has several notable alumni, including William Sap and Ray Lewis who ended up in the NFL. Recalling the golden era of the Miami Hurricanes, Johnson reposted a tweet with the former team’s signed cards.

Looking back at the time, Johnson tweeted, “I was lucky, I played with some talented cats. Hall of famers. Man we learned many life lessons together.

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Even on the sitcom Young Rock, Ray Lewis was featured in the story. Played by Gavin Rocker, we found out that the two stars met at the gym when Johnson found out he wasn’t the only one who liked to work out at 5 AM at the university.

Even while sharing this clip on Instagram a while ago, The Brahma Bull revealed that the two teammates used to push each other to their limits while weight training.

Despite the wrestling background that Johnson’s family has, the combat sport was never his first priority. This was evident from the fact that he ended up joining the collegiate football team.

Dwayne Johnson turned to football to make money

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Apart from the passion that he has for the sport, out of everything, the Hollywood superstar wanted to make money. Given the financial struggles his family faced and the fact that they did not own a house, Johnson wanted to bring economic stability into the household. The WWE legend saw football as the way to do it.

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Even though wrestling was always in his heart and genetics, the 51-year-old never saw it as a way of making lots of money. However, luckily for him, Johnson grabbed every possible opportunity he could, making him a millionaire.

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No matter the status he has reached now, he still remembers the old days with his college teammates. What do you think about the relationship Lewis and Johnson share?

WATCH THIS STORY:- 50 Years of The Rock: Dwayne Johnson’s Greatest Achievements in WWE

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Written by:

Kaif Ali

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Kaif Ali is a pro wrestling writer at EssentiallySports and a massive WWE enthusiast. Currently pursuing an English degree, Kaif has started his career off strong, having written 1000+ articles at ES. As a huge Dwayne Johnson and John Cena stan, he loves covering their antics both on and off the small screen.
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Edited by:

Donna Eva