When Joe Anoai (pronounced an-uh-WHY-ee) roamed the turf at Bobby Dodd Stadium a decade ago he was known as "Hawaii Five-O."
Nowadays he goes by a different name, Roman Reigns, and his turf is no longer the gridiron but a squared circle.
The three-time WWE champ was a starting defensive tackle at Tech from 2004 to 2006. Like teammate Calvin Johnson, Reigns earned All-ACC honors. He had a short career playing after college with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and CFL's Edmonton Eskimos.
Reigns' ties to wrestling run deep.
His father, Sika, a WWE Hall of Famer, was one half of the Wild Simoans tag team. Reigns' brothers Rosey and Matt were both wrestlers, too. You may also have heard of his cousin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
But as a Jacket those weren't his aspirations.
From a November 2006 article in the AJC:
JOE ANOAI
Third-year starter, preseason All-ACC defensive tackle, 94 career tackles, 10 career sacks
Memory: "The Auburn game my freshman year, just to see the goal posts come down. You see it on TV when you're little, but to see it actually happen, especially your first year in college, it was amazing. I was on the sideline. I didn't play a lick in that game. I didn't play one snap, but it was one of the most memorable games I've ever been a part of."
Degree expected: December 2007, management
Post-football plans: Run his own business
In 2010, Reigns joined the family business. And business is looking good.
About the Author
