The Rock draws parallels with NFL legend Jim Brown while opening up about transition from wrestling to acting

As Jim Brown might have known, The Rock managed to carve a name for himself in not one but two big careers. After a brief professional football experiment, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, clawed his way to the top of the WWE. Many would have been content with that, but Johnson wanted to add another category to his resume: acting.

Today, the actor has been in countless movies, but making the transition from one successful arena to another was not for the faint of heart. The Rock compared his transition away from wrestling to acting to Cleveland Brown legendary running back Jim Brown leaving the NFL on a Monday edition of "New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce."

"And so in 2004 was my last Wrestlemania, and I quietly tried to as much as I could, just quietly transition and step away," Johnson said. "And that was scary, because ... I was lucky enough to [where] I was on top. "It was like Jim Brown, leading the league in yards. And he's like, 'Hey, I'm gonna go to this other thing and challenge myself.' He was the face of league, and that's what I did."

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Brown famously played an NFL career, but didn't retire from work after his run with the Cleveland Browns came to a close.

Following his NFL career, Jim Brown entered the film industry, appearing in various movies, including blockbusters like "The Running Man" alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, before his passing in 2023.

The Rock also has starred in various movies, including multiple movies in "The Fast & Furious" series, multiple movies in the "Jumanji" Series, and other one-offs like "Free Guy" and "Central Intelligence."

The Rock's football career paved the way to greater things

UFL: Birmingham Stallions at Arlington Renegades - Source: Imagn

Before becoming one of the biggest faces of the box office and one of the biggest names in the WWE, The Rock first wanted to play in the NFL. After spending four years with the Miami Hurricanes in college, he went undrafted due to a back injury.

He joined the Canadian Football League but left after a year. He had signed a three-year deal, but he decided to pursue wrestling instead, according to IMDB.

He was unable to do both, but one may argue that his choice to leave the Canadian Football League for the WWE gave him the confidence to leave wrestling for acting.

Today, one can argue that Johnson's choice was the correct one, keeping him relevant for decades longer than the WWE might have allowed.

Edited by Ian Van Roy