How long did Brock Lesnar play in NFL? Exploring WWE megastar's short-lived Pro Football career

Publish date: 2024-06-19

You might not know, but Brock Lesnar, a man famous for his long unbeaten streaks in the WWE, once had aspirations of playing in the NFL. The 6' 3 ", 286 lb wrestling legend took snaps with professional NFL players almost two decades ago.

That's the stuff dreams are made of. Keep reading to find out for how long the WWE Hall of Famer played in the National Football League. It might surprise you just how close he got to rub shoulders with the Bradys, Mannings and Rodgers of the league.

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How long did Brock Lesnar play in the NFL?

Brock Lesnar left the WWE in 2004 to pursue a career in American football. He got a chance to play in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings as a defensive tackle. That was quite a shock for OG football fans, as Lesnar had never played football at a competitive level, neither in high school nor college.

Eventually, this lack of experience curbed Lesnar’s pro football aspirations, as he appeared for the Minnesota Vikings for a couple of preseason games but never made it to the regular NFL season.

Why was Brock Lesnar's NFL career short-lived?

Lesnar could not make it into the NFL due to his lack of experience playing football at any competitive level before heading to the league. While he had the strength and build of a football player, he needed the luck to become a professional player.

It’s unknown exactly what happened that became an obstacle for him. However, he did have a motorcycle accident during his days with the Minnesota Vikings. That left him with a busted jaw, pulled groin, bruised pelvis and a broken left hand. Hence, he hadn't fully recovered when he tried out for the season.

However, the Vikings did offer him the chance to play football in their NFL Europe affiliate team. Lesnar, though, wanted to stay in the United States and passed up that opportunity. This was the end of Brock Lesnar’s short-lived NFL career.

What did Brock Lesnar do after leaving the NFL?

After his brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings, Lesnar embarked on a successful combat sports career. He's deservedly seen as one of the finest athletes in the world.

Lesnar is the only one to have won all of the significant heavyweight championships in American sports, namely, the WWE, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Looking back, Lesnar not having a professional football career turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

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