‘The Rock’ says his NFL dreams were the ‘best thing that never happened’

Most people aren’t thankful to be cut from a football team, especially when it’s as big a team as the BC Lions.

But Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson took to Instagram to show his appreciation for head coach Wally Buono after Buono cut Johnson while the now-actor was playing for Calgary.

“He was a mentor of mine… he ultimately cut me from the team,” Johnson, who is filming Disney’s Jungle Cruise, said.

“It was such a defining time and I appreciate that man and I appreciate me playing on this very field.”

Johnson played for the Calgary Stampeders back in 1995, but was cut just two months in.

The pro-wrester turned actor had dreams of making it to the NFL but never made the leap over to American football – and he’s grateful for it.

“Sometimes, something you want so badly, your dreams in life, don’t happen. And sometimes they’re the best thing that never happened,” Johnson said.

Cheers to dreams not coming true 🥃 Not an easy concept to process, but the idea that sometimes our biggest and most important dreams that DON’T COME TRUE are often times the BEST THING that never happened. I’m shooting JUNGLE CRUISE now and right before I get called to set, I look up and see a CFL (Canadian Football League) game on my TV. I do a double take and realize that’s the same field I played on when I played in the CFL. I do a triple take and see the very man who coached and mentored me, but ultimately had to cut me from the team, Wally Buono who is now head coach and GM of the BC LIONS in Vancouver. Playing ball, I was always the “hardest worker in the room” and did everything I could to make the CFL and then hopefully, make it to the NFL where I dreamed of having an All Pro/Super Bowl Champion football career. Instead, I was cut from the team, told I wasn’t good enough - and sent home with $7 bucks to my name. After years of blood, sweat, guts and tears, my dream was over. Fell into depression, didn’t know what to do or where to turn. Eventually, I picked myself back up again, said fuck this and refocused and committed myself to a different path. The rest is history. I’ve been there, so I encourage you to keep working hard and remember that sometimes our dreams that don’t come true, can ultimately become the best thing that never happened.

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Aug 11, 2018 at 8:15pm PDT