Before The Rock became a professional wrestler, XFL owner and an acclaimed actor, Dwayne Johnson dreamed of playing for Jimmy Johnson during his coaching tenure with the Miami Hurricanes.
Johnson took Miami to new heights in the 1980s and led the Hurricanes to a national championship in ’87. When The Rock reached his senior year of high school in ’89, he only wanted to play football for Johnson. However, the Pro Football Hall of Fame coach jumped to the NFL ranks to become the Dallas Cowboys' second head coach ahead of the ‘89 campaign.
Although The Rock didn’t get to play for the legendary coach, he elected to still play for the Hurricanes to honor Johnson's legacy. During the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, The Rock praised the newest member of the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor and honored Johnson with his letter of intent to play for him during his tenure at Miami.
“When I was 18, I wanted to give you this. This is my letter of intent to play for you,” The Rock laughed. “If you ever decide to coach again, it would be an honor.
Johnson was nearly in tears.
🥹 @TheRock dropped by with some heartfelt words for @JimmyJohnson and a special gift at the end 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/Zu2zeBF2JP
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 31, 2023
The Rock spent four years at Miami as a defensive lineman from 1991 to ’94 and was part of Miami’s championship team in ’91.
After 30 years and the ending of deep-rooted friction with Dallas owner Jerry Jones, Johnson earned his rightful place in the Cowboys’ Ring of Honor during halftime of the team’s 20–19 victory on Saturday night.
Later in the day, The Rock posted a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter):
I was so grateful to let coach @JimmyJohnson know how much he influenced my life as a 15yr old kid who was always in trouble, and also fell in love with football. I made a promise to myself to earn a scholarship to @univmiami and play for Jimmy and “the bad boys of college… https://t.co/r82v15rcEr
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 31, 2023
"I was so grateful to let coach @JimmyJohnson know how much he influenced my life as a 15-year-old kid who was always in trouble and also fell in love with football,” Johnson wrote.
“I made a promise to myself to earn a scholarship to @univmiami and play for Jimmy and ‘the bad boys of college football,’” he added. “Last night, I personally wrote out my ‘letter of intent’ and presented it here to Coach. Congratulations, Coach, on your well-earned Ring of Honor induction.”
