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http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/sports/article/0,1651,TCP_1154_2631909,00.html

By ALEX MARVEZ
February 5, 2004

Dwayne Johnson admits he wasn't a good enough football player at the
University of Miami to make it in the NFL.

But as The Rock, Johnson was a perfect fit on the sidelines of a
celebrity football game being played in the shadows of Reliant Stadium
just two days before Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Johnson and Tampa Bay's Warren Sapp, who were Hurricanes teammates as
defensive linemen during the early 1990s, were the honorary coaches
last Friday for MTV's annual Rock 'N Jock exhibition. A Johnson-led
roster that included celebrities (Nelly, Matthew Lilliard and Nicole
Richie) and current and retired players (Kansas City's Dante Hall,
Denver's Shannon Sharpe and ex-quarterback Warren Moon) scored a
victory over Sapp's squad, which was headed by ex-Dolphins quarterback
Dan Marino.

Mainstream events like Rock 'N Jock, as well as his burgeoning movie
career, have kept Johnson from making as many World Wrestling
Entertainment appearances as he would like. But before taking the
field for last Friday's game, Johnson made a promise that should
thrill grappling fans who are looking forward to Wrestlemania XX on
March 14 from New York City.

"I will be back for Wrestlemania," Johnson said. "Right now, I'm
planning to team with Mick (Foley)."

Johnson's affection for wrestling has never waned despite the
Hollywood success he began experiencing following his big-screen
acting debut in The Mummy Returns. After starring in The Scorpion King
and The Rundown, Johnson spent much of last fall completing Walking
Tall, which is a remake of the 1973 film based on the life of sheriff
Buford Pusser.

But Johnson did find time for a surprise appearance last December on
Monday Night Raw (SpikeTV), helping save Foley from an attack by Le
Resistance. Johnson had such a good time at Raw that he committed to
performing at Wrestlemania XX, where he is slated to reform the
Rock-N-Sock Connection with Foley against Randy Orton and Batista.

"That was great fun," Johnson said of his brief WWE return. "It's hard
to stay away. But it's going to be a busy year for me."

After spending last week attending Super Bowl activities, Johnson
began filming his latest movie. Johnson will star with John Travolta
and Uma Thurman in Be Cool, which is the sequel to the 1995 smash Get
Shorty.

Johnson also is slated for two other movie projects. Spy Hunter will
be a live-action adaptation of the classic 1980s arcade game, while
Instant Karma will cast Johnson in a film that also will include
computer-generated animation. Johnson will be a safecracker who dies
but is reincarnated as a host of different animals.

The expected success of these vehicles makes it highly unlikely that
Johnson will ever resume a full-time WWE touring schedule. But Johnson
says he never wants to completely walk away from the ring.

"No matter what I do elsewhere, there is nothing that can replace that
feeling," said Johnson, whose father (Rocky Johnson) and grandfather
(Peter Maivia) were wrestling stars. "I just want to give back to the
business."


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q: Whatever happened to Randy Savage? - F. Vincent Sandoval, Denver.

A: The Pro Wrestling Torch reported that Savage is slated to face Jeff
Jarrett on April 4 in the first three-hour Sunday night National
Wrestling Alliance/Total Nonstop Action pay-per-view show. Savage
hasn't wrestled since 2000 but generated some headlines last year by
releasing a musical album that rips on fellow wrestling star Hulk
Hogan.

More wrestling news can be found at www.wrestlingobserver.com.
Questions can be sent to Alex Marvez c/o the South Florida
Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301, or
e-mailed to amarvez(at)sun-sentinel.com.

Please include your full name and city of residence. Because of
volume, no phone calls will be accepted and letters will not receive a
written reply.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)


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