I was $40 an hour Uber driver in NFL offseason despite $510,000 contract before joining WWE
A.J. Francis has had quite the career. The 34-year-old has gone from tearing it up on the gridiron to telling his passengers to put their seatbelts and on and slamming his opponents into mats. A.J Francis only played nine games in the NFLGetty A football player, taxi driver, and professional wrestler is quite the career arc, and one that Francis knows well. The former NFL nose tackle decided to become an Uber driver while he was a professional football player because there was uncertainty around his NFL pay. The 6-foot-5 Francis went undrafted out of the University of Maryland in 2013. His longest stint was on the Miami Dolphins, where he was on the roster between 2013-2015. Francis was aware that a career in the NFL was not a long-term one, and despite being set to earn $510,00 with the Dolphins in 2015, he worked as an Uber driver to earn money on the side. “I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket,” Francis, who earned around $40 to $50 an hour, said at the time. “Where I’m from when you have a job, where are you when that job is over?” To no surprise, Francis was a popular Uber driver, and while in South Florida, he would film multiple customer interactions and upload them to YouTube, many of which went viral. “People just think I’m some big dude in a nice car,” he also said at the time. “I tell them at the end of the interview who I am, and the shock on their face is really funny.” Francis spent six years in the NFL, including with the CommandersGetty Francis’ last NFL team was the New York Giants, after spending time with the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders. It was after 2018 when he decided to move into pro wrestling. His larger than life personality saw him invited to host WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures, and from there, he pursued a career in the organization with his natural size as a tackle being the ideal build for a superstar wrestler. “You don’t see a lot of guys that went undrafted make the NFL and then end their career with a five-year NFL pension,” Francis said. “I loved playing football, but even when I was in the NFL, my dream was to become WWE champion.” @ajfrancis410Francis spent 2 years in the WWE[/caption] He formed a group called Hit Row@ajfrancis410 He was released from the WWE in 2023@ajfrancis410 His WWE career began in 2021 when he made his debut on NXT and established himself as a heel, Top Dolla. Later, he would be drafted into SmackDown and, after initially being released in late 2021, returned to the WWE in the summer of 2022. At the time, he praised Triple H for bringing him back. “There’s a million people Hunter (Triple H) could’ve brought back,” Francis told SI. In September 2023, he was released from the WWE again and is now a freelance wrestler, performing on the independent circuit. The 34-year-old has featured in Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, Major League Wrestling (MLW), and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Despite his WWE career not panning out exactly how he would have wanted, Francis can be proud of a career that has seen him perform in two industries many could only dream of.
A.J. Francis has had quite the career.
The 34-year-old has gone from tearing it up on the gridiron to telling his passengers to put their seatbelts and on and slamming his opponents into mats.
A football player, taxi driver, and professional wrestler is quite the career arc, and one that Francis knows well.
The former NFL nose tackle decided to become an Uber driver while he was a professional football player because there was uncertainty around his NFL pay.
The 6-foot-5 Francis went undrafted out of the University of Maryland in 2013.
His longest stint was on the Miami Dolphins, where he was on the roster between 2013-2015.
Francis was aware that a career in the NFL was not a long-term one, and despite being set to earn $510,00 with the Dolphins in 2015, he worked as an Uber driver to earn money on the side.
“I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket,” Francis, who earned around $40 to $50 an hour, said at the time.
“Where I’m from when you have a job, where are you when that job is over?”
To no surprise, Francis was a popular Uber driver, and while in South Florida, he would film multiple customer interactions and upload them to YouTube, many of which went viral.
“People just think I’m some big dude in a nice car,” he also said at the time.
“I tell them at the end of the interview who I am, and the shock on their face is really funny.”
Francis’ last NFL team was the New York Giants, after spending time with the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders.
It was after 2018 when he decided to move into pro wrestling.
His larger than life personality saw him invited to host WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures, and from there, he pursued a career in the organization with his natural size as a tackle being the ideal build for a superstar wrestler.
“You don’t see a lot of guys that went undrafted make the NFL and then end their career with a five-year NFL pension,” Francis said.
“I loved playing football, but even when I was in the NFL, my dream was to become WWE champion.”
His WWE career began in 2021 when he made his debut on NXT and established himself as a heel, Top Dolla.
Later, he would be drafted into SmackDown and, after initially being released in late 2021, returned to the WWE in the summer of 2022.
At the time, he praised Triple H for bringing him back.
“There’s a million people Hunter (Triple H) could’ve brought back,” Francis told SI.
In September 2023, he was released from the WWE again and is now a freelance wrestler, performing on the independent circuit.
The 34-year-old has featured in Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, Major League Wrestling (MLW), and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Despite his WWE career not panning out exactly how he would have wanted, Francis can be proud of a career that has seen him perform in two industries many could only dream of.
