Now we find out how much he wants it or not eh ??
slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/09/01/612168-cp.htmlThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are offering former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar a different road to the NFL.
Two CFL sources requesting anonymity said Wednesday the Bombers have placed the six-foot-three, 295-pound Lesnar on their negotiation list. The former World Wresting Entertainment star was released Monday by the Minnesota Vikings, failing to make the NFL club as a defensive lineman.
Brendan Taman, Winnipeg's general manager, politely declined to confirm whether Lesnar was on his list. But Taman commented about Lesnar's football ability and the possibility of Lesnar joining the Bombers.
"I don't think he has given the Canadian league a lot of thought but now with his NFL situation maybe in question, that might become more of an issue than we think," Taman said. "I'm sure he's still geared towards trying to get on the Vikings practice roster and if that happens I think we'd be out of the picture. But if it didn't, you never know.
"In this case, this guy is a legitimate football prospect. To what degree, we'd like to find that out in person."
Taman said he spoke with Ed Hitchcock, Lesnar's agent, shortly after the wrestler announced he wanted to play pro football. Despite his size and high profile, Lesnar, 27, was a longshot to make the Vikings considering he last played football in 1995 for his high school team in South Dakota.
"When I spoke with Ed, he told me they were geared towards the NFL and I told him I understood that but if they needed an avenue other than that to the NFL I said to keep Winnipeg in mind," Taman said. "His wrestling background at the amateur level is interesting in itself because those guys are very, very good athletes.
"The Canadian game is unique but I think when it comes down to offensive line against defensive line, it's mano-a-mano and you've got to beat the guy across from you. I just want him to prove that he can't do it."
After high school, Lesnar attended the University of Minnesota on a wrestling scholarship and won the 2000 NCAA heavyweight title. He later gained pro wrestling fame as The Next Big Thing.
But despite a seven-year, $45-million US contract with the WWE, Lesnar opted to pursue a pro football career, signing a one-year deal with Minnesota for $230,000, the rookie minimum salary.
Lesnar would earn much less in the CFL, whose average is about $50,000 with the rookie minimum being around $30,000. But with teams already halfway through their seasons, Lesnar would earn between $15,000 and $25,000.
If Lesnar was placed on a CFL practice roster, he would receive roughly $500 per week.
Taman said he'll know in a week or two - once the Vikings finalize their practice roster - whether he has a legitimate shot at landing Lesnar.
Winnipeg isn't the first CFL team to take a flyer on a big name.
Last month, the Edmonton Eskimos placed quarterback Quincy Carter on their negotiation list after he was cut by the Dallas Cowboys. Carter later signed with the New York Jets.
Edmonton also had former Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick on its list before he went first overall to Atlanta in the 2001 NFL draft. And Winnipeg placed cornerback Deion Sanders, whose flashy jewellery, brash talk and penchant for making big plays on national television earned him the moniker of Prime Time, on its list but he too never showed. This week, Sanders came out of retirement to join the Baltimore Ravens.
Some longshots pay off.
Two years ago, Montreal signed former NFL first-round pick Lawrence Phillips years after placing him on its list. Phillips spent the 2002 season with the Alouettes before being released. He signed with Calgary last season, but again was cut.
In 1991, Toronto placed receiver Raghib (Rocket) Ismail on its list, signing the Notre Dame star after the club was purchased by Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky and the late John Candy. Ismail helped the Argos win the Grey Cup that season.
The Blue Bombers signed defensive back Markese Fitzgerald and offensive lineman Kurt Sigler on Wednesday.
Fitzgerald has had stints with several NFL teams since the 2002 season, primarily as a practice player. He tried out with Minnesota this summer and was awaiting a reply from the Vikings when Winnipeg offered him a job.
Sigler is a recent cut of the NFL's Buffalo Bills.
