King Corbin Recalls How Calling Himself An “Athlete” During His WWE Tryout Got Him In Trouble

Before he was a WWE superstar, King Corbin played NCAA Division II football and was on the practice squad for the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals in the NFL. He was also an amateur boxer, having competed in the 2008 Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions.

But Corbin’s athletic background, and his mouth, got him in trouble during his WWE tryout in 2012.

“‘I’m an athlete.’ That quote got me in trouble in my tryout,” Corbin recalled on WWE After The Bell. “It’s like my second day, they brought me in for a week-long tryout and guys like Bray Wyatt are in the ring. [Tom Prichard] was like, ‘Do you think you can do a drop down and leap frog?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m an athlete. That’s easy.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, okay.’ He had somebody start running and I’m doing drop downs and leapfrogs. After the 10th one I’m like, ‘Is he going to tell me to stop?’ I was 325-330 pounds. At like 14 I’m thinking, ‘This is bad.’ I clip my foot and faceplant and he laughs and goes, ‘I thought you said you were an athlete.’ I just did 18 drop downs and leapfrogs. I was blown sky high.”

Corbin managed to survive the tryout, officially signing a WWE contract in August 2012. Corbin is now one of the top stars in WWE, finding himself in the main event position throughout the majority of 2018.

Corbin will take on Elias at WrestleMania 36.

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