Exclusive Insights: Roman Reigns' Epic Debut in the Gaming Universe Unveiled!

Highlights

Roman Reigns, WWE's biggest star, made his first video game appearance in NCAA Football 2005 as a college football player.

Prior to his ascent in WWE, Reigns went through training in WWE's developmental promotion and eventually joined The Shield on NXT. This path in wrestling came after his college football career.

Although he made an early appearance in a football game, Reigns is expected to remain a prominent figure in WWE games for years to come.

Roman Reigns, a prominent figure in WWE, has surprised many by making his first appearance in a video game. As an iconic superstar, he has gained immense respect for consistently delivering exceptional matches. However, it may astonish people to learn that Roman wasn't always at the pinnacle of success in WWE, and his ascension took many, including former critics, by surprise. Since his time in The Shield, Roman has been featured in various WWE video games, but his initial game appearance may not be easily recalled even by devoted fans.

Prior to becoming the highest-rated wrestler in WWE 2K23, Roman Reigns devoted substantial time to his development. He began his career in WWE's developmental promotion known as FCW, initially performing under the moniker Leakee, where he achieved some measure of success. However, it wasn't until he embraced his current persona as Roman Reigns and joined forces with The Shield on NXT that he received his first major opportunity. The Shield would subsequently emerge as one of WWE's greatest factions, with all three members ultimately becoming renowned wrestling stars in the present era. Roman, in particular, experienced a rapid rise to fame, captivating audiences with his commanding heel character, which became a significant draw for WWE.

Roman Reigns Didn't Make His First Video Game Appearance For WWE

Regrettably for Roman, WWE games did not include developmental versions of wrestlers until WWE 2K23 introduced John Cena's Prototype gimmick. It wasn't until WWE 2K15 that NXT wrestlers were finally added to the game's rosters. When Roman made his debut in WWE 2K14, The Shield was already an established group on RAW, having been around since the beginning of that year. However, Roman had actually made his first video game appearance before becoming a wrestler, during his time as a college football player.

It's understandable if one forgets, especially since NCAA Football 2014 marked the end of the series, which used to release annually and featured the names of players from competing schools at the time. While in college, Reigns played football for Georgia Tech, which led to his inclusion in NCAA Football 2005 under his real name, Joe Anoa'i. Surprisingly, Roman Reigns made his video game debut a year after John Cena appeared in his first WWE game, WWE Wrestlemania XIX, despite their wrestling careers starting ten years apart.

It's unsurprising that many fans were disappointed by Roman's absence in NCAA Football 2005. Unlike WWE 2K23, where players can customize their wrestlers, the focus on individual players in NCAA Football games was minimal. Though each player had their own stats and awards, they rarely received specific attention outside of the cover athletes, in which Joe Anoa'i was not included. Additionally, considering that NCAA Football 2005 was an early installment in a yearly series spanning over a decade, it's understandable that the game would be somewhat overshadowed, let alone Reigns' involvement in it.

It's reasonable to assume that Roman Reigns will exclusively appear in WWE titles despite his initial appearance in an NCAA Football game. It's unlikely that the upcoming EA College Football game will reintroduce past players, especially those who pursued a career in wrestling rather than football after college. Given Reigns' likelihood of remaining a prominent figure in WWE games for years to come, players and WWE fans can expect to see plenty of him in the future regardless. Nevertheless, it's amusing to note that one of WWE's biggest wrestlers made his debut in a college football game well before his professional career even began.