World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) honored National Medal of Honor recipient, Retired U.S. Army Capt. Florent “Flo” Groberg, at January’s Royal Rumble. Groberg was born in Poissy, France, May 8, 1983 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen, Feb. 27, 2001. He graduated from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, MD, in June of the same year.
Groberg attended the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and competed in varsity track and cross country. In May 2006, Groberg graduated from UMD with a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice.
Last week, @WWE honored National Medal of Honor recipient Captain Flo Groberg during Royal Rumble in partnership with @MohMuseum. pic.twitter.com/IfqMZwMp83
— WWE Community (@WWECommunity) February 3, 2022
Groberg entered the Army in July 2008 and attended Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. He received his commission as an infantry officer, Dec. 4, 2008. After completing Infantry Officer Basic Course, Mechanized Leaders Course, U.S. Army Airborne and U.S. Army Ranger Schools, he was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., as a platoon leader.
In November 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Lethal, with responsibility for the Pech River Valley in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province. Upon returning home in June 2010, he continued serving as a platoon leader until he was reassigned as an infantry company executive officer from October 2010 to November 2011. He was then assigned as the brigade personal security detachment commander for 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He deployed again to Kunar Province, Afghanistan, in February of 2012, with Task Force Mountain Warrior. He was promoted to captain in July 2012.
Then-U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Florent Groberg conducts a key leader engagement meeting in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, February 2010. (Courtesy of Retired Capt. Florent Groberg)
Then-U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Florent Groberg conducting a meeting with local Afghan National Police in Kunar Porvince, Afghanistan in January 2010. (Courtesy of Retired Capt. Florent Groberg)
As a result of his actions, Groberg sustained the loss of 45 to 50 percent of his left calf muscle with significant nerve damage, a blown eardrum, and a mild traumatic brain injury. Groberg spent his recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center from August 2012 through May 2015. He was medically retired from Company B Warriors, Warrior Transition Battalion, as a captain, July 23, 2015.
Groberg’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars; the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the U.S. Army Parachutists Badge, the U.S. Army Ranger Tab, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Groberg currently resides in the National Capital Region and is a civilian employee of the Department of Defense.
Bullis alumna Masai Russell is among 15 college athletes that will participate in the WWE’s NIL program, which allows college athletes to monetize their name, image, an likeness (NIL).
Masai graduated from Bullis in Potomac and currently attends the University of Kentucky as a student athlete who participated in women’s track & field.
While at Bullis, Masai accomplished the following as a student athlete:
- Top-ranked 300m hurdler all four years in high school
- Eight-time National Champion (sprint relays and shuttle hurdle)
- Two-time National record holder (4×2, shuttle hurdle)
- Bronze medalist at the 2018 Pan American Junior Games in 400m hurdles
- Runner up at USATF Junior Championships in the 400m hurdles
- Gatorade Athlete of the Year – Maryland 2018
- Ocean breeze 400 meet record champion (sophomore and junior year)
- Three-time All-Metropolitan Area from sophomore to senior seasons
- All-Met Athlete of the Year (2018)
- Maryland No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 in the 55H in 2018
- Maryland No. 1 U.S. No. 7 in 60mH of 2018
- Maryland No. 1 in the 300 and 500 oh sophomore year
- U.Ss. No. 5 in 500m
WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era, allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.
WWE unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.
The inaugural “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 14 athletes join MoCo’s Masai Russel and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:
- Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University
- Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University
- Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University
- A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University
- Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University
- Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University
- John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University
- Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU
- Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama
- Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan
- Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University
- Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University
- Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas
- Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama
All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization, including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.
We Honor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s 49th Birthday With Some Local Connections
To honor The Rock turning 49 years old, today we remember when MoCo was buzzing two years ago when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was in town for a meeting at the Total Wine headquarters in Bethesda.
The Rock posed with many excited employees and fans before and after his meeting, which was about getting his Teremana Tequila into Total Wine stores this March.
Before he became a WWE Superstar and A-list actor, you could find The Rock on Montgomery County Cable where he wrestled under the name Flex Kavana in Smoky Mountain Wrestling that was featured on the legendary local wrestling television show, Inside the Squared Circle.
The Rock also won the WWF Heavyweight Championship at Capital One Arena 21 years ago this week.
Fun Fact: His character from the movie Skyscraper, Will Sawyer, was from Rockville, MD!
In the featured photo, courtesy of Melissa Gonzalez De Bem (@MelissaDBem on Instagram), you’ll see The Rock posing with employees in the Total Wine headquarters located in Bethesda.
Wale, a 2002 Quince Orchard Graduate, Will Perform at WrestleMania 37
We previously told you about Omos, who attended high school in MoCo, making his debut during Night 1 of WrestleMania this weekend. Now we know that rapper Wale, who was born and raised in Washington D.C. before moving to Montgomery County will be performing Big E’s theme song during Night 2 of the event.
Wale attended Quince Orchard High School and The Mark Twain School, and graduated from Quince Orchard in 2002. He remains tied to the area with his appearances at many local sporting events (Redskins, Wizards, etc.).
WWE announced the following:
Grammy-nominated Nigerian-American rapper and producer Wale, who is featured on Intercontinental Champion Big E’s entrance theme song “Feel The Power,” will perform the entrance for The Powerhouse of Positivity at WrestleMania.
Although performing on The Grandest Stage of Them All is quite an honor, Wale is no stranger to WWE. He also performed The Street Profits out to the ring on NXT in 2019 and his song “My PYT” was an official theme song for SummerSlam in 2016. In addition, Wale hosted a rap battle between The Usos and The New Day on SmackDown in 2017 and his song “Ungrateful & Thankful” was created for WWE’s 2K19 video game soundtrack.
Wale even hosts an annual event called “WaleMania” around WrestleMania, which combines his love of sports-entertainment and hip-hop.
Wale’s performance will be during Night 2 of WrestleMania 37, streaming live as part of a two-night event, beginning at 8 ET/5 PT on Sunday, April 11, exclusively on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else.
Featured photo courtesy of WWE
WWE Superstar, Omos, Attended High School in MoCo
In less than two weeks, Omos will team with his “best friend” AJ Styles to take on The New Day for the Raw Tag Team Championship at Wrestlemania 37, but did you know that he attended high school in Rockville?
The 7’3, 335 Nigerian-born Jordan Omogbehin moved to America with his family and attended school/played basketball at Montrose Christian for the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 school years.
He went on to attend and play for the University of South Florida before moving back to Maryland and attending/playing for Morgan State University. His college basketball career spanned from 2012 to 2015.
Omogbehin has been signed with WWE since October 2018, but will make his in-ring debut on the grandest stage of then all…Wrestlemania.
Omos wouldn’t have a shortage of people to talk MoCo with at Wrestlemania. Shane McMahon, the son of WWE chairman and owner Vince McMahon, was born in Gaithersburg. The McMahons (Vince, his wife Linda, and Shane) even lived in Montgomery Village for about a decade, and the home they owned was recently sold.
Peter Rosenberg, a MoCo Native, is Now a WWE Champion
Peter Rosenberg, 41, grew up in Chevy Chase and graduated from B-CC. He is also a University of Maryland alumni and has been a local DJ at local stations such as WPGC, WHFS, and WJFK.
In 2007 he was hired by Hot 97 in New York, where he hosts the morning show. Rosenberg has also worked for the WWE for the last few years and is the host of many podcasts. His mom was even an MCPS teacher!
Last night may have been his biggest moment, however, as he pinned R-Truth for WWE’s 24/7 championship after distracting the wrestler and delivering a low blow prior to the pin.
Though his victory may be tainted, he is currently the champ.
While you’re here, check out Vince McMahon’s former home in Montgomery Village that was recently sold.
Updated from being for sale to being sold in January 2021.
Vince McMahon’s Former MoCo Home
The Montgomery Village home that Vince, Linda, and Shane McMahon resided in the late 1960s and 70s was sold earlier this year.
According to Wikipedia, the McMahons moved to the home in 1969. Vince focused on wrestling while his wife Linda worked as a receptionist at the Covington & Burling law firm as a document translator.
Back in 2016 we wrote: “When Vince McMahon Sr. wanted to expand the then-WWWF further down the east coast, he sent his son Vince McMahon Jr. down to D.C. to run operations. Since Vince and his wife Linda couldn’t afford to live in the city, they lived in Gaithersburg. On January 15, 1970, Shane Brandon McMahon was born in Gaithersburg. About 5 years later, they moved back and forth between Connecticut and Gaithersburg until finally moving to Connecticut full-time in the early 80s.”
In recent years, Linda McMahon ran two unsuccessful Senate campaigns before being appointed the head of the Small Business Administration from 2016-2019 by Donald Trump. Vince McMahon remains the Chairman and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment.
