Check out what Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson looked like as a pro player

There was a time, a brief time, when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson appeared headed for a career as a pro football player. Not in the NFL, no, but in the Canadian Football League. (Much like Canada is to the U.S., the CFL is the NFL, just more polite.) Above is an image of The Rock while playing for the Calgary Stampeders' practice squad. He didn't make it, but considering his future careers (did you know he gained fame as a wrestler and actor?) that was probably for the best.

This would have been around the same time that the following shot was taken, and while not making a pro team had to be disappointing, nothing in life should have made him put on a fanny pack:

The Rock was pretty undistinguished as a four-year player at the University of Miami, but we're not going to say that to his face. He was a backup defensive tackle, playing behind, among others, NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp. Over his 39-game career, he totaled 78 tackles, 29 of them solo. Perhaps his finest moment came here, when running down Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward:

Pretty weak celebration there, Rock. We can't smell anything at all.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Facebook or on Twitter.

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