Daytona 500, Dwayne Johnson: From football in Florida to Sexiest Man Alive, info on The Rock

Action star. Wrestling great. Sexiest Man Alive. And now Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500. Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock has another title to add to his long list of achievements.

On Monday, Feb. 19, Johnson has a pivotal role for the 2024 Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway. The Grand Marshal's chief duty is delivering the proverbial "four most important words in motorsports" — Drivers, start your engines.

And he's not alone.

DJ Khaled was named the honorary starter for this year's Daytona 500, with Miss America Madison Marsh as pre-race pace-car driver. Pitbull will kick off a pre-race concert. Other celebrities are sure to head to this weekend's race. On Sunday, officials rescheduled the race to 4 p.m. Monday because of inclement weather.

Before The Rock became synonymous with action movies and fitness magazine covers, he was a defensive tackle for the University of Miami Hurricanes. Here are things to know about the 2024 Great American Race Grand Marshal, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock used to play college football for the Miami Hurricanes

When Dwayne Johnson attended the University of Miami, he played football for the Hurricanes and was part of the school's national championship in 1991. On Jan. 20, 2024, the Miami Hurricanes Football account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted a congratulatory note to Johnson for being inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, which honors Polynesia's greatest football players, coaches and contributors.

Johnson responded with a tweet: "Thank you Fam. Life’s road is long, wild and unpredictable. Core values & relentless work ethic principles I learned at @CanesFootball. Honored and grateful to be inducted in the @PolynesianFBHOF"

After playing football for the University of Miami, The Rock became a pro wrestler

Like Dave Bautista and John Cena, movie fans know Dwayne “The Rock" Johnson successfully transitioned from pro wrestler to action star.

During his wrestling career, The Rock became famous for The Eyebrow. When he was a WWE wrestling star, Johnson would often threaten his opponent in the ring with not words, but a look − a signature invisible hook pulling one eyebrow and one eyelid way up. It's been featured in movies, pop culture and made into a meme decades later.

Recently, Johnson is back in the WWE ring for WrestleMania 40, the company's biggest event, making headlines for Roman Reigns vs. The Rock for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40 in Las Vegas.

In 2016, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive

When The Rock was 44 years old, People magazine crowned him Sexiest Man Alive in 2016, calling the actor "sweet, smart — and sculpted." That same year, Forbes had named him Hollywood's highest-paid actor, bringing in $64.5 million between June 2015 and June 2016.

A year later, Johnson starred in the movie version of the '90s TV show "Baywatch." He and the cast of "Baywatch" filmed a "takeover" in Miami for the world premiere, simply called "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Miami Beach Takeover," that aired May 30, 2017. Priyanka Chopra Jonas, David Hasselhoff, Zac Efron and Alexandria Daddario co-starred in the film and the TV special.

In 2022, The Rock hosted Discovery Channel's Shark Week

Florida is well-known for sharks − we flip-flop between the first and second spot of "shark bite capital of the world. In 2022, the Discovery Channel announced The Rock would be master of ceremonies for its popular "Shark Week."

Does Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock live in Florida?

According to a 2023 story in the News-Press, The Rock has a home in Florida. The WWF/WWE megastar actually has properties all over the world and more than 10 estates in Florida, including a luxury home in Miami, the story states. Johnson has said in interviews that Florida is one of his favorite places to live.

In 2014, Johnson paid $3.4 million for a 13,000-square-foot ranch Miami property with five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a pool, two 3-car garages, and 14-seat home theater, reports show. A year later, he sold the property for $3 million.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson filmed 'Pain and Gain' with Mark Wahlberg in Florida

In 2013, The Rock and Mark Wahlberg, another action star well-known for being physically fit, teamed up for "Pain and Gain." The film's plot? "A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong," according to IMDB. Co-starring Anthony Mackie ("Captain America," "The Avengers: Endgame" and Disney's "Falcon and the Winter Soldier"), "Pain and Gain" is loosely based on a true story.

Maui's back! Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson will star in Disney's 'Moana 2'

In Disney's "Moana," Johnson voices the demigod Maui. He has a memorable song (yes, The Rock can sing, as evidenced by previous movies like "The Game Plan") where he constantly says, "you're welcome!"

In October 2023, Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando opened the "Moana"-themed attraction Journey of Water.

Recently, Disney announced Moana and Maui will set sail again in "Moana 2", which will be released in theaters in November 2024.

Johnson will also star in a live-action "Moana."

Contributing: Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal, and C.A. Bridges, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Dwayne Johnson, Daytona 500 2024 grand marshal: Rock's list of movies