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August 12, 2018

The Rock Tributes Mentor Buono In Instagram Post

Although their paths have not crossed in over two decades, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has not forgotten the impact Wally Buono had on him both personally and professionally.

It was on set during filming of his latest Hollywood hit ‘Jungle Cruise’ where Johnson took another moment to reflect on his time with Buono in the CFL and what the league’s all-time wins leader meant to him.

 

Cheers to dreams not coming true 🥃 Not an easy concept to process, but the idea that sometimes our biggest and most important dreams that DON’T COME TRUE are often times the BEST THING that never happened. I’m shooting JUNGLE CRUISE now and right before I get called to set, I look up and see a CFL (Canadian Football League) game on my TV. I do a double take and realize that’s the same field I played on when I played in the CFL. I do a triple take and see the very man who coached and mentored me, but ultimately had to cut me from the team, Wally Buono who is now head coach and GM of the BC LIONS in Vancouver. Playing ball, I was always the “hardest worker in the room” and did everything I could to make the CFL and then hopefully, make it to the NFL where I dreamed of having an All Pro/Super Bowl Champion football career. Instead, I was cut from the team, told I wasn’t good enough – and sent home with $7 bucks to my name. After years of blood, sweat, guts and tears, my dream was over. Fell into depression, didn’t know what to do or where to turn. Eventually, I picked myself back up again, said fuck this and refocused and committed myself to a different path. The rest is history. I’ve been there, so I encourage you to keep working hard and remember that sometimes our dreams that don’t come true, can ultimately become the best thing that never happened.

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Johnson tried out for Buono’s Calgary Stampeders in 1995 and, as he eludes to in the video, even suited up in a pre-season tilt against the Lions at BC Place before being cut. All these years later, Buono still remembers his experience with Johnson in great detail.

“Dwayne was always an upbeat guy, real positive,” Buono told bclions.com in 2016.

“He was on the practice roster, but yet always worked hard and what you see today is what he was: always a big personality, a good guy, a fun kind of guy.”

As it turned out, Johnson’s agent had actually requested his release in order to pursue an opportunity elsewhere. That opportunity was, of course, in professional wrestling where Johnson established himself as one of the most dynamic characters in WWE history before extending his brand to the Hollywood scene.

Johnson did a similar shout out to Buono in the CFL while filming his most recent movie ‘Skyscraper’ here in Vancouver.

“If I helped him in any way to be what he is today, then I feel privileged that I was able to do that,” Buono added.

“He’s a bigger personality than life and I’m proud of him. For him to take a moment to acknowledge me makes me feel really good.”

And how cool would it be if they could meet up one more time?

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com