Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler, former professional Canadian football player, and a member of the Anoaʻi family. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is currently suspended for violating WWE's Wellness Program.
After playing collegiate football for Georgia Tech,[1] Anoaʻi started his professional football career with brief off-season stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) in 2007.[7] He then played a full season for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos in 2008 before his release and retirement from football.[8]
Anoaʻi then pursued a career in professional wrestling and was signed by WWE in 2010, reporting to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).[2] As Roman Reigns, he made his main roster debut in November 2012 alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose as The Shield.[9] The trio teamed together until June 2014,[10] after which Reigns entered singles competition, and that same month he began headlining pay-per-views in world title contention.[11] In his WWE career, Reigns is a three-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion,[12] a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion (with Rollins), and was the 2015 Royal Rumble winner and the 2014 Superstar of the Year. He also tied the WWE record for most eliminations in a Survivor Series elimination match with four in the 2013 event,[13] and set the record for most eliminations in a Royal Rumble match with 12 in the 2014 event.[14]
Reigns has headlined numerous WWE pay-per-views including WrestleManias 31 and 32, with WWE intending him to be their next "face of the company". However, Reigns' ascendancy as a world title-chasing heroic character has been marked by critics' disapproval and hostile crowd reactions.
Contents [hide]
1 Football career
2 Professional wrestling career
2.1 World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
2.1.1 Developmental territories (2010–2012)
2.1.2 The Shield (2012–2014)
2.1.3 Controversial rise to high-tier status (2014–2015)
2.1.4 WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2015–2016)
3 Persona and reception
4 Personal life
5 In wrestling
6 Championships and accomplishments
6.1 Collegiate football
6.2 Professional wrestling
7 References
8 External links
Football career
Joe Anoaʻi
No. 99
Career information
Status Retired[8]
CFL status International
Position(s) Defensive tackle[1]
Height 6 ft 3[1] in (191 cm)
Weight 280[1] lb (130 kg)
College Georgia Tech[1]
Career history
As player
2007 Minnesota Vikings*[7]
2007 Jacksonville Jaguars*[7]
2008 Edmonton Eskimos[8]
* Off-season and/or practice squad member only
Career stats
Tackles 9[8]
Knockdowns 0[8]
Sacks 0[8]
* CFL statistics only
Anoaʻi played football for three years at Pensacola Catholic High School and one year at Escambia High School. In his senior year, he was named Defensive Player of the Year by the Pensacola News Journal.[1] He then attended Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was a member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team along with Calvin Johnson, who later became a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).[1] Anoa'i was a three-year starter beginning in his sophomore year and was also one of the team captains as a senior.[1] Anoa'i was named to the first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) after recording twenty-nine tackles for loss and twelve sacks in 2006.[15]
After going undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft, Anoa'i was signed by the Minnesota Vikings in May 2007, but was released later that month.[7][16] The Jacksonville Jaguars signed him in August 2007, only to release Anoa'i less than a week later before the start of the 2007 NFL season.[7]
In 2008, Anoaʻi was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).[8] Wearing the number 99, Anoaʻi played for one season with the Eskimos, featuring in five games, of which he started three.[8][17] Anoaʻi's most notable game came against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in September, where he tied for the team lead with five tackles and had a forced fumble.[18] Anoa'i was released by the Eskimos on November 10, 2008, and proceeded to retire from football.[8]
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Developmental territories (2010–2012)
Anoa'i made his first venture into wrestling in July 2010, when he signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was later assigned to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).[2] He debuted on September 9, 2010, using the ring name Roman Leakee (often shortened to Leakee), in a loss to Richie Steamboat in a singles match.[19] Further losses to Idol Stevens and Wes Brisco ensued,[19] before he gained his first win on September 21 over Fahd Rakman.[19] He continued competing in FCW throughout the remainder of the year, wrestling mainly in tag team matches.[19] On the January 16, 2011, episode of FCW television, Leakee was a co
After playing collegiate football for Georgia Tech,[1] Anoaʻi started his professional football career with brief off-season stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL) in 2007.[7] He then played a full season for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos in 2008 before his release and retirement from football.[8]
Anoaʻi then pursued a career in professional wrestling and was signed by WWE in 2010, reporting to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).[2] As Roman Reigns, he made his main roster debut in November 2012 alongside Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose as The Shield.[9] The trio teamed together until June 2014,[10] after which Reigns entered singles competition, and that same month he began headlining pay-per-views in world title contention.[11] In his WWE career, Reigns is a three-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion,[12] a one-time WWE Tag Team Champion (with Rollins), and was the 2015 Royal Rumble winner and the 2014 Superstar of the Year. He also tied the WWE record for most eliminations in a Survivor Series elimination match with four in the 2013 event,[13] and set the record for most eliminations in a Royal Rumble match with 12 in the 2014 event.[14]
Reigns has headlined numerous WWE pay-per-views including WrestleManias 31 and 32, with WWE intending him to be their next "face of the company". However, Reigns' ascendancy as a world title-chasing heroic character has been marked by critics' disapproval and hostile crowd reactions.
Contents [hide]
1 Football career
2 Professional wrestling career
2.1 World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
2.1.1 Developmental territories (2010–2012)
2.1.2 The Shield (2012–2014)
2.1.3 Controversial rise to high-tier status (2014–2015)
2.1.4 WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2015–2016)
3 Persona and reception
4 Personal life
5 In wrestling
6 Championships and accomplishments
6.1 Collegiate football
6.2 Professional wrestling
7 References
8 External links
Football career
Joe Anoaʻi
No. 99
Career information
Status Retired[8]
CFL status International
Position(s) Defensive tackle[1]
Height 6 ft 3[1] in (191 cm)
Weight 280[1] lb (130 kg)
College Georgia Tech[1]
Career history
As player
2007 Minnesota Vikings*[7]
2007 Jacksonville Jaguars*[7]
2008 Edmonton Eskimos[8]
* Off-season and/or practice squad member only
Career stats
Tackles 9[8]
Knockdowns 0[8]
Sacks 0[8]
* CFL statistics only
Anoaʻi played football for three years at Pensacola Catholic High School and one year at Escambia High School. In his senior year, he was named Defensive Player of the Year by the Pensacola News Journal.[1] He then attended Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was a member of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team along with Calvin Johnson, who later became a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL).[1] Anoa'i was a three-year starter beginning in his sophomore year and was also one of the team captains as a senior.[1] Anoa'i was named to the first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) after recording twenty-nine tackles for loss and twelve sacks in 2006.[15]
After going undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft, Anoa'i was signed by the Minnesota Vikings in May 2007, but was released later that month.[7][16] The Jacksonville Jaguars signed him in August 2007, only to release Anoa'i less than a week later before the start of the 2007 NFL season.[7]
In 2008, Anoaʻi was signed by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL).[8] Wearing the number 99, Anoaʻi played for one season with the Eskimos, featuring in five games, of which he started three.[8][17] Anoaʻi's most notable game came against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in September, where he tied for the team lead with five tackles and had a forced fumble.[18] Anoa'i was released by the Eskimos on November 10, 2008, and proceeded to retire from football.[8]
Professional wrestling career
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Developmental territories (2010–2012)
Anoa'i made his first venture into wrestling in July 2010, when he signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was later assigned to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).[2] He debuted on September 9, 2010, using the ring name Roman Leakee (often shortened to Leakee), in a loss to Richie Steamboat in a singles match.[19] Further losses to Idol Stevens and Wes Brisco ensued,[19] before he gained his first win on September 21 over Fahd Rakman.[19] He continued competing in FCW throughout the remainder of the year, wrestling mainly in tag team matches.[19] On the January 16, 2011, episode of FCW television, Leakee was a co
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