"It was the city I was looking for": Joe Anoaʻi aka Roman Reigns once detailed why he chose Georgia Tech despite receiving offers from bigger schools

Georgia Tech was once the home to WWE superstar Joe Anoa'i, now more famously known as Roman Reigns. Before beginning his successful career in the world of wrestling, he played college football as a defensive tackle for the Yellow Jackets.

After his senior season with Escambia High School, Roman Reigns decided to commit to playing with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Despite attracring the interest of some bigger college programs, he opened up about the factors that led to him choosing the Yellow Jackets as his final destination in a April 2004 interview.

"Once I went to Tech, I just knew that that's what it was, man," Roman Reigns said. "The city of Atlanta just offered so much. It was the city I was looking for, the experience I was looking for. There was something about Tech and the legacy of it, being a part of something.

"A lot of these other schools, one of their sales pitches were, 'You're gonna create history here because the program's not that old.' But there was just someting about being at Tech and you know, being a part of something that's been around for a century long."

Roman Reigns spent three seasons as a starter with Georgia Tech. During his college football career, he went on to be honored as a First-Team All ACC during the 2006 season for his impressive performances. During his three-season stint with the team, he recorded 65 tackles, 6.5 sacks and one pass defended.

Reigns declared for the 2007 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings then signed him as a free agent in May before releasing him the same month.

Reigns was then picked up by the Jaguars but was released before the start of the 2007 season. He then spent one year in the Canadian Football League before retiring from football and starting his new journey in WWE.

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Georgia Tech emerges victorious in Week 0 showdown against Florida State

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets led by coach Brent Key started off the 2024 season on a positive note. After last season's 7-6 campaign, they secured a 24-21 victory over the 10th-ranked Florida State in Dublin, Ireland.

Both Florida State and Georgia Tech put up stellar performances on the field. Things were pretty even until the fourth quarter. Aidan Birr turned the tide in favor of the Yellow Jackets with a 44-yard field goal, which proved to be the winner.

It will be interesting to see if they can go on to dethrone Florida State as the ACC champions and secure a spot in the new 12-team playoffs.