In 1995, a 23-year-old football player was cut from the Calgary Stampeders and went home with seven dollars in his pocket — a five, a one, and some change. That young man was Dwayne Johnson, and this is the true story of how seven bucks became the foundation of an empire.

Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California, the son of professional wrestler Rocky Johnson and Ata Johnson, daughter of wrestling legend High Chief Peter Maivia. His father's work meant the family moved about thirteen times. At fourteen, living in Hawaii, Dwayne came home to find a padlock on the door and an eviction notice — his mother broke down in tears. He fell into fighting and theft, and by his own account was arrested eight or nine times before he turned seventeen. Then a coach at Freedom High School in Pennsylvania steered him into football, and everything changed. A full scholarship took him to the University of Miami, where he was part of the 1991 national championship team — but mostly a backup, replaced by Warren Sapp after an injury. The NFL draft never called. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders, played one pro game against the B.C. Lions, and was cut two days later. His father drove him home, and he counted what he had left: seven bucks. He went back to the family business instead. As Rocky Maivia he debuted in the WWF in November 1996 — and the crowds booed him. So he reinvented himself as The Rock, became WWE Champion within two years, then conquered Hollywood with The Mummy Returns (2001) and The Scorpion King (2002). In 2012 he founded Seven Bucks Productions, named after the lowest moment of his life. In 2020 he bought the XFL out of bankruptcy. And in 2022 he returned to the little 7-Eleven in Hawaii and bought every Snickers bar on the shelves.

🔔 Subscribe to Against All Odds Stories for more true comeback stories: https://www.youtube.com/@AgainstAllOddsUSA-u8w

Chapters:
00:00 CUT WITH SEVEN BUCKS
00:29 BORN INTO WRESTLING
01:01 EVICTED AT FOURTEEN
01:36 A TEEN IN TROUBLE
02:08 FOOTBALL SAVED HIM
02:41 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 1991
03:11 CUT AFTER ONE GAME
03:49 SEVEN BUCKS
04:29 THE CROWD BOOED HIM
05:06 BECOMING THE ROCK
05:50 NEVER QUIT

Jay McNeil went from 14 seasons with the Calgary Stampeders to becoming president of the team. Now he’s seeing professional football from a side players rarely get to experience.

We get into the business of the CFL, what players don’t see about running a professional football team, player salaries and team finances, changing fan habits, bringing younger Calgarians back to McMahon Stadium, reaching newcomers to the game, and why the Stampeders have had to rethink how they connect with Calgary.

Jay also opens up about life after football and the identity shift that came with retirement, why he eventually returned to the Stampeders, winning the 1998 Grey Cup, and sharing a locker room with Dwayne Johnson before he became The Rock.

With Calgary hosting the Grey Cup, we also talk about what goes into hosting one of Canada’s biggest sporting events, the future of McMahon Stadium, and why a new football facility would need to be much more than a place the Stampeders use ten times a year.

The Deets with Duddy is Calgary’s late-night show podcast, spotlighting the city’s culture, creativity and people through unfiltered conversations with Calgary’s most interesting voices.

New episodes every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and iHeartRadio.

This is Calgary, one conversation at a time.

#TheDeetsWithDuddy #CalgaryStampeders #CFL #Calgary #GreyCup

Winnipeg ​Blue Bombers vs Calgary Stampeders | FULL GAME | Otc 10, 2026 | CFL Week 19.
Calgary Stampeders vs Winnipeg Blue Bombers | ​FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | Otc 10, 2026 ​| CFL Week 19


USA Football, Football today
College Football ​Championship,
College Football Playoff,
#CollegeFootball #cfl

Dwayne Johnson says Calgary cut him from its football team in 1995 and he went home with almost nothing, and this is the story behind that claim.
What's a setback that ended up changing your path?

Follow @watchirismedia for more stories behind familiar faces.

Sources:
'One of my favourite cities': Dwayne Johnson shares Vancouver love with personal story (Global News): https://globalnews.ca/news/3661855/one-of-my-favourite-cities-dwayne-johnson-shares-vancouver-love-with-personal-story/
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson returns to Calgary to film 'Jumanji' (Global News): https://globalnews.ca/news/5172521/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-returns-to-calgary-to-film-jumanji/
'Best thing that never happened': Dwayne Johnson thanks B.C. Lions' Buono for cutting him from CFL team (Global News): https://globalnews.ca/news/4383732/dwayne-johnson-bc-lions-the-rock/
While Dwayne Johnson was not a Calgary Stampeder for very long, losing that opportunity kicked off the rest of his life (The Globe and Mail): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/dwayne-johnson-the-rock-calgary-stampeders/article36282340/
Calgary Stampeders post: 'Dwayne Johnson was on Stamps practice roster in 1995...' (Calgary Stampeders (official X account)): https://x.com/calstampeders/status/515175314486734848
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson showing the CFL some Love (CFL.ca): https://www.cfl.ca/2016/08/26/dwayne-rock-johnson-showing-cfl-love/
Dwayne Johnson: I Started With $7 (Yahoo News Singapore): https://sg.news.yahoo.com/dwayne-johnson-i-started-with-7-135059817.html
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson wasn't 15 in this football photo — he was 23 (Snopes): https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/football-photo-dwayne-johnson/
Dwayne Johnson Wrestled for $40 a Match at Flea Markets Before His WWE Debut in 1996... (Men's Journal via Yahoo Entertainment): https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/movies/articles/dwayne-johnson-wrestled-40-match-162821096.html
Seven Bucks Productions (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Bucks_Productions
Dwayne Johnson post: 'In 1995 I had $7 bucks in my pocket...' (Dwayne Johnson (X, @TheRock)): https://x.com/TheRock/status/466048867990261761
The Rock writes: 'Calgary Stampeders changed my life; I love the CFL' (Western Standard): https://www.westernstandard.news/sports/the-rock-writes-calgary-stampeders-changed-my-life-i-love-the-cfl/article_553eeec7-11a4-5a30-be30-41e8edb30d9d.html
Media credits: Oprah's Master Class (OWN), via SelfAwarenessMotivation re-upload

#DwayneJohnson #TheRock #CalgaryStampeders #IrisMedia

The Calgary Stampeders make a final push for the 2026 playoffs.

Go behind-the-scenes in Episode 6 of our exclusive docuseries, as the Stamps continue to build with a team-bonding session at Derrick Moncrief's ranch and learn more about Tevin Jones, an emerging leader on offence.

Plus, Rene Paredes prepares for the final regular season game of his career.

SUBSCRIBE: www.youtube.com/@calstampeders
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#TogetherWeRide #Stampeders #CFL #TheWhiteHorse

Upscaled, denoised, and sharpened from the original version.

All films featured on CFL Classics may contain copyrighted material shared for the purposes of preserving, documenting, and promoting the history of Canadian football. These videos are intended for historical, educational, and archival purposes only and are not intended for commercial use.

CFL Classics does not claim ownership of, or hold the rights to, this material. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.

Upscaled, denoised and sharpened the original I posted in early 2021.

All films featured on CFL Classics may contain copyrighted material shared for the purposes of preserving, documenting, and promoting the history of Canadian football. These videos are intended for historical, educational, and archival purposes only and are not intended for commercial use.

CFL Classics does not claim ownership of, or hold the rights to, this material. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.

I posted this earlier this year but upscaled it now.

All films featured on CFL Classics may contain copyrighted material shared for the purposes of preserving, documenting, and promoting the history of Canadian football. These videos are intended for historical, educational, and archival purposes only and are not intended for commercial use.

CFL Classics does not claim ownership of, or hold the rights to, this material. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.

The Calgary Stampeders were so close to making the CFL playoffs but unfortunately the Blue Bombers took the win last night eliminating them.

We got to go to their last regular season game and it was a great time at least they went out with a W.

Have you ever been to a CFL game? How do you feel about the new changes they are making? Let me know in the comments.

@calstampeders @cfl

#cfl #football #Calgarystampeders #calgary #weekendvlog #yyc #viralshorts #fyp

Come along for an exciting weekend in Calgary, Alberta! 🇨🇦 In this video, we’re checking out the Calgary Tattoo Festival, taking in the incredible tattoo art and creativity, and then heading out to experience the energy of a Calgary Stampeders football game!

From the buzz of the tattoo festival to the excitement of game day, this weekend is all about exploring the city, enjoying new experiences, and soaking up the Calgary atmosphere.

If you love travel vlogs, festivals, football, and discovering what Canadian cities have to offer, you’re in the right place!

👍 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more adventures, weekend getaways, and experiences from around Canada!

💬 Have you ever been to the Calgary Tattoo Festival or a Stampeders game? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next adventure! ❤️

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:41 Tattoo Festival
03:15 Stampeders Game
09:02 C-Train
09:22 Tattoo Fest Outro


#Calgary #CalgaryAlberta #Tattoos #CalgaryStampeders #CFL #Football #TravelVlog #CalgaryVlog #WeekendInCalgary #TattooFestival #ExploreCanada #FYP #vlog

The Stampeders' season rides on tonight: Winnipeg is win-and-in at BC. A Lions win puts Calgary in the playoffs.

https://provectusmedia.ca

Go to Provectusmedia.ca for more

#CFL #Stampeders #BCLions #Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers strike early with a first-quarter touchdown against the visiting Calgary Stampeders in Week 19! 🏈💙💛

#BlueBombers #ForTheW #Stampeders #CFL #Winnipeg #Football #touchdown

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http://instagram.com/canadianfootballcentral

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https://www.youtube.com/@HamiltonSportsCentral

DISCORD:
https://discord.gg/CKHGg8jXV2

Charles Wiley sacks Nathan Rourke for his 4th of the season!

Ajou Ajou scores his second touchdown as a Stampeder!

Every Calgary Stampeder game we have been to these rabbits love to make an on field appearance. But tonight's game the whole crowd was cheering for not one but two rabbits as they ran the whole football field crossing into the touchdown zone.

The crowd got hyped just in time for the Stampeders to take the win and now be waiting to find out if they made the CFL playoffs.

@cfl @calstampeders

#cfl #football #calgarystampeders #calgary #livingincalgary #adayinmylife #weekendvlog #calgaryvlog #shorts #fyp #funny #sports #viralvideo

Get a look inside the Stampeders locker room following Saturday night's 32-13 win over the BC Lions!

SUBSCRIBE: www.youtube.com/@calstampeders
TICKETS: https://www.stampeders.com/tickets

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#TogetherWeRide #Stampeders #CFL

BC Lions vs Calgary Stampeders week 20 full game. This game was from October 17th, 2026.

🏈 CFL SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IS HERE! 🏈

Rhino Nation, we're bringing you a big West Division matchup as the BC Lions take on the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, October 17th at 7:00 PM ET! Join us LIVE on Rising Rhino for Play-by-Play and Watch Party coverage as these rivals battle it out!

And you know we're riding with the Stamps! 🤠 With the CFL regular season approaching its finish, every game matters as teams fight for playoff positioning. Calgary will be looking to make a statement against BC, and we're pulling for the Stampeders to deliver the big plays, tough defense, and clutch moments needed to get the job done!

Get those Saturday night jammies on, grab your favorite yummy snacks, pour yourself a tasty beverage, and come hang out with Rhino Nation! We'll be reacting to every touchdown, turnover, big hit, game-changing play, and questionable call. Join the fun, get active in the live chat, and let's cheer on the Stamps together!

🔥 LIVE Play-by-Play
🔥 Watch Party & Live Reactions
🔥 CFL Talk & Analysis
🔥 Interactive Live Chat

#CFL #CanadianFootball #CalgaryStampeders #Stamps #BC Lions #BCLions #CFLFootball #CFLFans #CFL2026 #Week20 #Football #FootballLive #WatchParty #PlayByPlay #LiveStream #Canada #CanadianSports #Calgary #BritishColumbia #CFLPlayoffs #WestDivision #RisingRhino #RhinoNation #SaturdayNightFootball #CFLAction

Post-game interview with Stampeders DB Johnson, who picked off Salter in the fourth quarter of Calgary's 32-13 win over the BC Lions at McMahon Stadium. Johnson finished with one defensive tackle and one interception as the win keeps Calgary's playoff chances alive — the Stamps now need a Winnipeg loss next weekend.

Video by @LawrenceMeyers-z5o for Provectus Media.

Go to Provectusmedia.ca for more

#Stampeders #CFL #Calgary #YYC

The Stampeders put on a dominant showing in Week 20 of the CFL season as they took down the red hot Lions.

The Calgary Stampeders take down the BC Lions 32-13 on Saturday night to keep their playoff hopes alive.

STAT PACK
Vernon Adams Jr. – 30-for-43, 325 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
• Deonta McMahon – 9 carries for 105 yards
• Ajou Ajou – 3 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD
• Tevin Jones – 4 receptions, 62 yards
• Rene Paredes – 4-for-5 on field-goal attempts

SUBSCRIBE: www.youtube.com/@calstampeders
TICKETS: https://www.stampeders.com/tickets

FOLLOW US:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalgaryStampeders
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calstampeders/
X: https://x.com/calstampeders
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cflcalstampeders

#TogetherWeRide #Stampeders #CFL #Highlights