Wrestling - http://maxpages.com/theg8one/The_Rocks

The early years...family, school and beyond

As a young boy, Dwayne Johnson, today known to millions…and millions worldwide as The Rock, would often sit on his grandmother's lap and watch his grandfather go to work in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. "High Chief" Peter Maivia was a legend at the time, and his intensity and aggressiveness intrigued his grandson. About ten years later, Dwayne was watching his own father, Rocky Johnson, pass through those same ring ropes. He celebrated when dad and Tony Atlas won the World Wrestling Federation Tag Team Titles in 1983 as the fans chanted "Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!" While most kids his age were collecting comic books and watching cartoons, Dwayne Johnson was at ringside chanting his father's name along with thousands of his father's adoring fans. The thrill of being at ringside was something Dwayne would never forget.

Even in his childhood days, Dwayne Johnson was quite an accomplished athlete. A football All-American in high school, he was named one of the top fifty gridiron warriors in the entire country. Dwayne also discovered another talent of sorts at the time. When Johnson would walk down the hall and around the corner, his friends would often be waiting for him. Naturally, they would say hello to their friend, but the future champ wouldn't return their greeting. Instead, he ignored them and only acknowledged their presence by raising his right eyebrow and walking past. What started as a joke is now today the most recognized eyebrow in the world!

In the late 1980's, Rocky Johnson bowed out of the ring. At the time, Dwayne was attending the University of Miami in Florida. He was a star defensive lineman for the Hurricanes, contributing greatly to the team's National Championships in 1989 and 1991. Dwayne graduated with a degree in Criminology. Dwayne had aspirations of working for the Secret Service out of college, but the sports-entertainment industry took hold of him. Johnson weighed all his options, eventually deciding that the Secret Service's risks were not quite worth its rewards. It was the world of sports-entertainment, and more specifically the World Wrestling Federation, that was calling The Rock to its ranks.

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Page Updated Sun Jul 15, 2001 9:01pm EDT