John Cena Posing

In college, John Cena was a NCAA Division III All-American center on the college football team, wearing the number 54, which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise. Cena graduated from Springfield College in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology and body movement, after which he pursued a career in bodybuilding. Cena started training to become a professional wrestler in 1999 at Ultimate Pro Wrestling’s (UPW) California-based Ultimate University operated by Rick Bassman.