Brock Lesnar is called the Beast Incarnate for a reason. At 6’3″ and 290 pounds, Lesnar is a wall of muscle and built like an indestructible tank. This has not only allowed him to become a multi-time world champion in WWE, but that strength led to him also dominating sports that aren’t pre-determined. In his college days, Brock was the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion in amateur wrestling, and after leaving WWE in 2004, he found a new career in the UFC, where he became their Heavyweight Champion. MMA wasn’t Lesnar’s first choice after stepping away from pro wrestling though. Instead, he tried to live his dream of playing in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. He actually made it, but his time in professional football didn’t last very long.
Brock Lesnar Left WWE In 2004 At His Prime
- He beat The Rock for his first WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2002.
- His last match during his first run was against Goldberg at WrestleMania 20.
- Brock left WWE because he hated being on the road all the time.
When Brock Lesnar debuted in WWE in 2002 at the age of 24, it came at the perfect time. The Attitude Era was now over and stars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock were close to being on their way out. WWE needed to create new stars, so they heavily pushed “The Next Big Thing”, Brock Lesnar, with Paul Heyman as his manager and mouthpiece. Brock crushed everyone in his path and, with a rocket strapped to his massive back, he was booked to beat The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 for the WWE Championship, just months after he arrived on the scene.
Lesnar was the face of WWE on SmackDown for the next almost two years, but in 2004, exhausted by the never-ending schedule, he decided to walk away at the peak of his popularity. He and Goldberg, who was also leaving the company, were booed out of Madison Square Garden for their last match at WrestleMania 20, and then it was time to try something new for Lesnar, who had given up wrestling stardom at just 26.
Brock Lesnar Signed With The NFL’s Minnesota Vikings
- Lesnar gave up millions with the WWE to play for the NFL’s league minimum.
- He played defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings in a few preseason games.
- The Vikings released him after only a month.
That same year, Brock Lesnar aimed for a new career in the NFL, and after a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, he signed with the team in July 2004. Lesnar wasn’t doing it for the money either, as he walked away from $45 million with WWE to play football for the minimum of $230,000. In an interview at the time with The George Michael Sports Machine, Lesnar said:
“I didn’t want to wake up when I was 50 years old or, you know, 10 years from now, kicking myself in the butt, saying, ‘Man, I wish I would have just at least grasped on to the opportunity.’ You don’t get many opportunities in life, and when you do get them, you should grab onto them, so I just thought, ‘Well, if somebody will give me the opportunity.’
“I’ve been a long shot all my life. I went to high school, I was never a state champion. I never got recruited out of high school for wrestling. I end up an NCAA Champion. I go into the WWE and people say I don’t have any mic skills, I don’t have the charisma, I don’t have what it takes, and here I become the youngest WWE Champion in history… Now I’m taking this other road, and to see if I can make my mark as a football player.”
The odds weren’t great for Lesnar, who, despite his size and athleticism, didn’t play football in college. According to ESPN, odds at the time said Lesnar had less than a 50 percent chance of making a team and having a successful career. Lesnar did make it to the Vikings, where he played defensive tackle in a few preseason games, and although he showed flashes of potential, it wasn’t enough. Lesnar was released in August 2004, just a month after making his debut.
Brock Lesnar’s Daughter Is Currently Dating An NFL Player
- Lesnar became a World Heavyweight Champion in the UFC.
- Mya Lesnar is a record-setting shot-putter.
- She is dating Drew Moss, a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers.
The fact that Brock Lesnar, one of WWE’s most imposing athletes of all-time, only lasted in the NFL for a month shows just how demanding the sport is. NFL defensive backs might not be as chiseled as the Beast Incarnate, but they’re all as big if not bigger than him, and they’re all stronger and more powerful.
With his NFL dream quickly over, Lesnar found a different sport more suited to his amateur wrestling background. In the UFC, Lesnar didn’t go down as an all-time great necessarily, but he did become a UFC Heavyweight Champion, holding his own with the best in the sport at that time. Still, it was wrestling that was always where he excelled the most, so in 2012 he made his shocking WWE return, won several more world titles, and even ended the Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania 30.
Brock Lesnar’s limited days in the NFL ended over two decades ago, but today he has a different connection to professional football. His daughter, Mya, an accomplished athlete in her own right as a champion shot-putter at Colorado State University, is currently dating Drew Moss, an undrafted rookie for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. Moss played offensive lineman for Colorado State. He’s already doing better than his girlfriend’s dad ever did, having not only made the team, but signing a 3-year contract worth nearly $3 million.
