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I don’t possess the athletic talents I would need in order to know what it feels like when a college football player walks off of the field following their final game but I do know that the vast majority of them will suddenly be hit with the realization that they’ll never have another chance to play the game they’ve devoted most of their life to.
Some will abandon the sport entirely while others will put their communications degree to good use and pursue a career in broadcasting but there are also guys whose names you won’t find on any NFL draft boards who refuse to go quietly into the night.
That was the case with Dan Matha, who put the 300 or so pounds he packed on his 6’8″ frame to good use as an offensive lineman at the University of Pittsburgh before attempting to pursue a professional career.
Matha impressed the Bengals enough to get an invitation to minicamp and briefly took his talents to the Canadian Football League after failing to secure an NFL contract but was once again forced to reevaluate his future when his time with the Montreal Alouettes came to an end sooner than he would have preferred.
After taking a look at his options, Matha decided to give professional wrestling a shot and eventually managed to catch the attention of the WWE, as the company gave him the big break he was looking for when it offered him a spot on the NXT roster in 2016.
Matha was still grinding away as a performer with the brand when the month began, but when Vince McMahon suddenly found himself in dire straits after being forced to cancel WrestleMania 36 and seeing the XFL shit itself once again, the WWE was forced to cull its roster and Matha was one of the people who found themselves out of a job.
That news would be miserable enough on its own but it turns out that development was just the cherry-sized turd on top of the diarrhea sundae Matha has been forced to consume over the past few weeks, as he recently revealed he thought being on lockdown was the worst of his worries before he was proven wrong when he was flung out of the window of a car during an accident and ended up with a huge hole in his head as a result.
And yes, he has pictures.
https://twitter.com/Dorian_Mak/status/1251900802383458306
According to Wrestling Inc, Matha provided some more insight into his current plan during an Instagram Live broadcast where he said he’s on the road to recovery and won’t let any of his recent setbacks interfere with his plan to find an opportunity to get back in the ring.
I’ll admit I knew literally nothing about this dude until his gnarly cranium came to my attention but I’m sure as hell rooting for him now.