Almost since its inception, the hard-hitting, high-octane, entertainment-driven world of professional wrestling has found a place among its pantheon for football players. From Bronko Nagurski to Ernie Ladd to Bill Goldberg to Dwayne Johnson, pro wrestling and football have been a match made in heaven.

The latest in this long line of gridiron heroes to take their talents to the squared circle is current Impact Wrestling Grand Champion Quinn Ojinnaka aka Moose. The mammoth former offensive tackle has risen quickly through the ranks of pro wrestlers, dominating his opponents and enthralling fans with his unique blend of size, power, and athleticism.

While Ojinnaka never had designs on becoming an NFL, he always had his sights set firmly on becoming a pro wrestler.

QO: “Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a pro wrestler,” he said. “Guys like Ric Flair, Razor Ramon, and Rey Mysterio, these guys were fascinating to me. The crowds loved them. They were big and strong. I knew that's what I wanted to be.”

Growing up in Maryland, Ojinnaka took up football as a junior in high school. Always one of the biggest kids in his class, it finally took the prompting of his friends got him on the field. With one look, his coaches knew that a player of his size (he topped out at 6'5” and 295 pounds at his peak) belonged on the line.

QO: “My coaches put me at defensive line when I first started playing and eventually they saw I was going to be a better fit on the o-line,” he said. “I fell in love with the game from the beginning. I loved getting out there and hitting people. Being around my friends and teammates all the time was also something I loved.”

Ojinnaka earned All-County honors as a senior at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. The team won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship that year and Ojinnaka's raw talent and unbelievable physical presence caught the attention of the staff at Syracuse University.

QO: “I loved everything about my time at Syracuse,” he said. “I got to play in a couple of bowl games while I was with Syracuse. The atmosphere at those types of games is really fun. We had some ups and downs while there as a team, but I really loved it.”

The NFL eventually came calling for Ojinnaka and he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2006 Draft. As a rookie, he earned a spot in the starting lineup and continued in that role off and on for the next four seasons. It also at this time that he would earn that would become his pro wrestling alter ego.

QO: “Michael Vick gave me that nickname in practice one day,” he said. “He just looked at me and the name stuck. It fits with my personality and really with who I am trying to be in wrestling now.”

Though he lasted in the NFL until 2012, Ojinnaka always had one eye on pro wrestling. He started training full time after he was done in the NFL and made his pro debut not long after.

QO: “For me it was just a matter of time and when on how I was getting into pro wrestling,” he said. “I remember watching the Royal Rumble when I was like 11 years old and being fascinated it from that point on. I loved the babyfaces or the good guys. That's kind of who I want to my character to be now.”

He has worked steadily through ranks of independent wrestling promotions before debuting with Impact Wrestling in 2014. Since then, he has risen to become one of the faces of the promotion. Now as their Grand Champion, he is on a trajectory to become one of pro wrestling's biggest names. At the end of the day, while he never sought glory in pro football, the lessons he learned in the sport are helping to make him a star in pro wrestling.

QO: “I'm having a great time with Impact Wrestling and I love what I am doing day in and day out,” he said. “The two sports are really different. Yes, there is the physical aspect of both, but that is it. I can say though that has helped me with wrestling that I got from football is having a strong work ethic. It takes a lot of hard work to be ready for football. You can't slack off ever. The same in wrestling. We're out there almost every night and if you aren't ready the promoters and the fans can tell. Football makes you get ready and that's something I will always be in wrestling.”