Remembering Brock’s NFL Tryout
Man, I remember when Brock Lesnar decided he was gonna ditch WWE and try out for the NFL. This was back in, what, 2004? Seemed crazy at the time. Here’s this absolute monster, top of the wrestling world, deciding he wants to play pro football.
I followed it pretty closely. Not ’cause I thought he’d actually make it big, but just out of sheer curiosity. It was a big story, you couldn’t really avoid it if you followed sports even a little bit. He lands a tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, which was kinda cool, being a local team for him and all that.
Training Camp Buzz
So, training camp starts, and the reports start comin’ out. You hear about his insane athleticism. The guy was, and probably still is, a freak of nature. Testing off the charts physically. But football, especially the NFL, it’s different. It ain’t just about being big and strong.
- You saw the raw power, no doubt. He could push guys around.
- But the technique, the instincts for the game… that stuff takes years.
- He was trying to play defensive tackle, a tough spot to just pick up.
I watched some of the preseason footage. He got into a couple of games. You could see flashes, moments where the sheer physical dominance took over. There was this one practice scuffle, classic Brock stuff, getting into it with other players. But then you’d see him look a bit lost on other plays. Understandable, really. He hadn’t played organized football since high school.
The Motorcycle Crash and The End Result
Then came that damn motorcycle accident. Right in the middle of trying to make the team. Messed up his groin, broke some bones. That was pretty much the nail in the coffin for his chances that year. Just terrible timing. You gotta wonder what might have happened without that setback, but honestly, it was always gonna be an uphill battle.
What Actually Happened
So, the Vikings eventually cut him. No big surprise, really. They apparently offered him a spot to go play in NFL Europe, get some seasoning. But Brock, well, he wasn’t having any of that. He turned it down. Guess he figured if he couldn’t make the main roster right away, it wasn’t for him.
Looking back, it was a wild ride to watch. Took guts to even try it, walking away from big money in WWE. Showed how tough the NFL really is. You can be a world-class athlete in one thing, but stepping into that league is a whole different level. He went back to wrestling, then conquered the UFC… guess football just wasn’t his path. But yeah, I remember watching that whole saga unfold. Quite the spectacle.
