The New York Giants made the most of their two first round picks on Thursday night. With the No. 10 pick, head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen used it to select Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, with the intent to protect quarterback Jaxson Dart for years to come. Mauigoa won over Giants fans by declaring his intent to protect Dart once he steps foot on the football field in uniform.
As is the case with any top prospect that gets drafted in the first round, the congratulatory messages come flying in. Whether it's the countless number of fans, to celebrities. For Mauigoa, he had perhaps one of the biggest stars in sports and entertainment wish him luck, and that is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
"Congratulations uso, proud of you," said Johnson. "And now the fun part — you go to work."
The Rock sends congratulatory message to Francis Mauigoa
Sure, Johnson might be known as one of the biggest stars in profssional wrestling and in movies, where he was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in "The Smashing Machine." However, what is pushed to the background of sorts is that Johnson used to play at Miami, the same school where Mauigoa played. Johnson notably played on the 1991 team that won the National Championship.
During his introductory press conference on Friday, a reporter brought Johnson's congratulatory message to Mauigoa's attention. While Mauigoa said he hadn't had a chance to check social media since getting drafted, he said he always looked up to "The Rock," especially since he represents the Samoan culture.
Sisi Mauigoa is told that The Rock congratulated him on being drafted: "I haven't checked social media. Right now, I'm here at the New York Giants and I'm focusing on what I can do to make an improvement."
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) April 24, 2026
He adds that he's looked up to The Rock his whole life pic.twitter.com/AhDiVlepMW
"'The Rock' has been someone that I looked up to my whole life," said Mauigoa. "He's one of those idols we see on TV with movies, WWE, whatever he does, he represents the Samoan culture. That's something that I like to do and take pride in it. And for him to do that at the big stage where he is, it means a lot. He's somebody that I look up to."
Mauigoa is expected to make an immediate impact on the Giants. While he played right tackle during his time with the Hurricanes, Harbaugh and Schoen let it be known that he will be playing at guard to start his career. He is expected to play at the right guard position, with Jermaine Eluemunor manning the tackle position. Mauigoa not only presents the Giants with the chance to provide protection for Dart, but also to open up the run game for Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy.
The Giants watched Mauigoa fall to them with the No. 10 pick, where he could have been drafted as high as No. 3. While there are some concerns over a back injury, if he is healthy and lives up to his potential, could be a long-term option for the Giants along the line of scrimmage.
Mauigoa is already becoming one of the most popular players on the Giants. He already has a huge fan in "The Rock."
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