WWE star Big E has shared a deeply personal account of his journey to professional wrestling, revealing how devastating injuries, depression, and self-doubt shaped his path before he ever stepped inside a WWE ring. Speaking on a recent episode of the “Stuck In My Thoughts” podcast, the former WWE Champion reflected on how life-altering setbacks led him from college football to sports entertainment — a path he admits he never planned.
“For me, the lesson has been life will take you in so many different directions that you never anticipate,” Big E said.
Before wrestling, Big E’s focus was solely on football. He earned a spot on the University of Iowa team with dreams of a professional career, but those ambitions were abruptly cut short by a series of severe injuries. “My whole goal was to play college football. Finally got that chance to play at Iowa, and I just had a ton of injuries,” he explained. “I tore both my ACLs, broke my right patella, tore my left pec, ended up taking medical hardship, and essentially, your time is done. We’re gonna honor your scholarship, but your time on the team is done.”
The sudden loss of his athletic identity sent Big E into a dark period marked by severe mental health struggles. “I spent some really hard years struggling with my mental health, really struggling with depression, ended up in a psych ward, went through ECTs,” he revealed. “I went through a very difficult time trying to figure out what’s next in life. Who am I? Where am I going?”
It was during this uncertain chapter that an unexpected opportunity with WWE presented itself. In 2009, Big E signed a developmental deal with FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling), but the reality of life as a new signee was far from glamorous. “People think, because you’re signed, it’s all glitz and glamor,” he said. “But I tell people too, if you want to get into entertainment… if your reason is money, it’s not going to last, man. I came in to WWE barely just being able to pay my bills under contract, but $500 a week is not going to take you very far, even in 2009.”
Big E credits his perseverance and long-term mindset for helping him push through those difficult early years. “I was always good at being able to hold off on gratification, knowing where I wanted to go,” he explained. “I don’t have very much right now, but I know if I hustle, if I show up early, if I stay late, if I work hard… in three years, in five years, I’ll be where I want to be. Delaying that gratification is so huge for me.”
Despite his eventual success, Big E admitted that his transition to wrestling was anything but smooth. “There are stories of people like Kurt Angle who just pick it up like that. I wasn’t one of those guys. It took me a while to get it,” he admitted. “So many of us struggle with imposter syndrome, and I’m definitely one of those people… the early part of my career [I was] never feeling like I was good enough, never feeling like I was ready.”
Ultimately, Big E learned one of the most important lessons of his life: sometimes, you have to leap before you feel prepared. “Sometimes you just have to, if that door opens, you just got to run with it,” he said. “Sometimes you’re not really ready. You become ready on the job. It takes taking your lumps, it takes taking losses, it takes the setbacks, but eventually you get better. You learn from your mistakes and you get there.”
Big E’s story — from shattered dreams and mental health battles to becoming one of WWE’s most beloved superstars — serves as a powerful reminder of resilience, perseverance, and the importance of embracing life’s unexpected turns.
