10 WWE Superstars who you didn't know were with the company for so long

#8 Big E, signed in 2009

Big E sits on a pedestal made of Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods

Big E has come a long way from being just another former football player who made the transition to professional wrestling. After a long time trying to find something that sticks, Big E has carved out what is likely a Hall of Fame career as a member of the New Day. But the effort to find something that works may have taken longer than you realise.

Big E signed with FCW in 2009, back when he still had the last name "Langston". He even held the FCW tag team championship before moving on to NXT where he would capture more gold. He became the second ever NXT Champion by defeating Seth Rollins in January of 2013.

But through all of this, Big E never really had a character. He couldn't find what fit him best. His alignment with Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee and his Intercontinental title run were both forgettable. It wasn't until he found the New Day that everything clicked for the former Iowa Hawkeye.

Perhaps that's why Big E's tenure feels shorter than it actually is. The New Day has only been around since 2014, and that's likely the only thing that he'll be remembered for. So in essence, his career might as well only be three years old.

Either way, Big E is an instrumental piece in one of the greatest stables in WWE history. That's plenty to be proud of even if the first half of his career didn't stack up.