That Time John Cena Asked for a Photo

This was before COVID, when schedules were looser and routines felt uncomplicated. When WWE came through Tupelo, we used to arrive early and tailgate. A small grill, burgers, sodas, my Tacoma backed up to the fence with the tailgate down.

Nothing elaborate, just a bunch of friends having fun.

It was 2017, and I was earlier than the rest of our group to secure our parking spot near the talent parking area. It was one of the few house shows where John Cena was on the card. His tour bus was parked in the middle of the talent parking, and a young girl, maybe eight or nine years old, stood at the fence yelling for him to come out.

After ten or fifteen minutes, the bus door opened and Cena stepped out. It was easy to tell he had just woken up. He asked a security guard to open the gate so he could meet her. That moment drew in everyone else in the parking lot. Before long, a crowd of thirty to forty people had gathered, and the situation started to feel unorganized.

Working in sports, especially around major events, you learn quickly not to approach individuals for autographs or photos. That mindset is ingrained. I stayed in my truck at first. But it became clear the moment needed some structure. Phones were everywhere, people were crowding in, and no one was directing the flow.

The public relations side of me kicked in.

I got out of the truck and asked people to form a line… or something that was close enough to be considered organized. When they reached the front, I had them hand me their phone so I could help take pictures and keep things moving. It was not perfect, but it brought some order back. At one point, Cena looked up while signing an autograph and said, “Thank you for helping.”

As the line moved, we made small talk. He took his time with everyone, kids and adults alike. It did not feel rushed or transactional. He listened. He asked questions. He treated each interaction like it mattered. It honestly felt like he cared to hear from each person and appreciated them being there.

During a brief break in the crowd, I ran back to my truck and grabbed him a bottle of water from my cooler. He took it and said, “This isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this.” That opened the door to a short conversation about my work in sports information and media relations. What stood out was that he was not just filling space with small talk. He asked questions that made it clear he was genuinely interested in me.

Once the crowd thinned out, he shook my hand and said, “Thank you for helping and for getting it.” I must have looked a little confused, because he followed it up by saying, “I can tell you get that these moments aren’t about us. It’s about the memories everyone just made. I appreciate you getting that.”

That perspective landed with me. It is the same approach I have always tried to carry throughout my career, from my television and newspaper days to my work now at ICC. The job is never about being seen. It is about helping make those special moments a little more special, big or small, for other people.

I started to walk back toward my truck when he stopped me and said, “Let’s get a picture.” He shook my hand again, told me to enjoy the show, and headed back toward the bus.