Before being an international movie star, before even joining the WWE, John Cena was one of the leaders of the Springfield College football team that made the NCAA Division III Tournament. He was a center, a Division III All-American, and a captain at the school in the 1990s.
Cena confirmed as much to fans in a WWE event in September of this year:
“Some of these young fans may not know this, but I spent a whole lot of years playing football up the street over at Springfield College,” Cena said as part of his in-ring promo.
“Springfield College prepared me for life in the WWE,”
He was a captain of the 1998 football team at Springfield College, which finished 9-2 and made the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time. The school elevated him to the Springfield College Hall of Fame.
He’s also a diehard fan of the New England Patriots, but ironically enough, was named an honorary team captain by the New York Jets in 2012. The Jets are one of New England’s historic rivals.
John Cena Set to Retire From The WWE After 20 Years
This week, it was announced that John Cena will retire from the WWE this month. Since 2018, he has wrestled part-time, as his film career has taken priority. On Saturday, December 13, he will have one final fight against GUNTHER during Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII.
THE WHOLE WWE ROSTER GIVING JOHN CENA HIS FLOWERS 💐
THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO MAN #ThankYouCena
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) December 11, 2025
Cena was 14 times the holder of the WWE Championship, three times the holder of the now-defunct World Heavyweight Championship, five times the holder of the WWE United States Championship, one time holder of the WWE Intercontinental Championship, two times the holder of the now-defunct World Tag Team Championship, and two times the holder of the WWE Tag Team Championship.
Since 2006, he has appeared in 35 major feature films and 26 TV shows.
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