Johnson was born into a wrestling family. His maternal grandfather, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, emerged on the professional scene in the 1960s and ’70s. Johnson’s father, “Soulman” Rocky Johnson, worked the American regional wrestling circuit and boxed; in 1974 he was a sparring partner for George Foreman, then preparing for the “Rumble in the Jungle” with Muhammad Ali. However, the younger Johnson initially preferred the gridiron to the mat. He was a standout high-school athlete, and he played on the 1991 NCAA Championship football team at the University of Miami (Bachelor of General Studies, 1995). After injuries cut short his career in the Canadian Football League, he turned to wrestling.