Dwayne Johnson said he is permanently retired from the grappling industry to focus exclusively on the acting career that began during his World Wrestling Entertainment heyday earlier this decade. A seven-time world champion, Johnson worked his last match in 2004 and subsequently has made only two cameos on WWE programming.

"I quietly got out," Johnson said in a recent telephone interview. "I didn't want to make a big production of it. I thanked everybody I wanted to thank and just moved on."

One of the projects Johnson moved onto was The Game Plan, which debuts in theaters nationwide on Sept. 28. Johnson plays a star quarterback (Joe Kingman) leading his team to a football championship until meeting the 8-year-old daughter he didn't know existed. Kingman gradually learns to change his self-centered ways to become a caring father in this family-friendly Disney movie.

"For a long time, my goal had been wanting to do a big, broad comedy," said Johnson, whose previous hits like The Scorpion King, The Rundown and Walking Tall showcased him in action roles. "I love the idea about a guy who had everything you could arguably want being presented with that decision of having to give everything up for the 8-year-old girl he loves.

"Plus, I got the chance to play a professional football player . . . It reminded me of how cool my job is and the magic of moviemaking."

But Johnson also received a painful reminder of the physical risks associated with football even during faux action. Johnson, a defensive lineman at the University of Miami in the early 1990s, tore his Achilles' tendon when landing awkwardly after throwing a pass.

The irony of getting hurt on a movie set after avoiding major injury during his 10-year wrestling career wasn't lost on Johnson.

"We had to take a lot of precautions when I came back," said Johnson, who returned only two months after surgery. "I was really fortunate I didn't retear it. We made a lot of adjustments on the set every day."

Johnson admittedly no longer watches wrestling but has followed the WWE steroid scandal that unfolded after the June murder-suicide of Chris Benoit and his family. Johnson said WWE must install "an aggressive educational program" as part of its drug-testing policy.

"These guys have to be armed with the knowledge and understanding of how bad these drugs are and the dangers of mixing these drugs with the lifestyles they lead," Johnson said.

"I always tell guys I know that want to get into pro wrestling to make a box with their hand and put it around their face. I tell them, 'This is where you're going to make your money in wrestling. You should take care of yourself and your body but you're not going to make money with only your biceps.' "

Johnson, 35, said he didn't use steroids while in wrestling but briefly experimented with them as a college freshman.

"I always joke about it because nothing happened," said the 6-foot-4 Johnson, who weighed roughly 270 pounds during his playing days. "I had no idea what I was doing. I was probably taking Advil or something like it because it seemed like there were no changes. I didn't understand what it was all about and that UM had drug testing all the time.

"When I got in the wrestling business, I never cared about being the biggest guy. I just wanted to be the most entertaining."

Johnson said he was "blown away" when learning Benoit murdered his wife, Nancy, and 7-year-old son, Daniel, before killing himself in their home.

"He was a great guy and I knew his wife very well," Johnson said. "The guy I knew wasn't the guy who committed these heinous crimes. I've stopped trying to figure it out because Chris had wiring that allowed him to do that where anybody who was sane couldn't fathom doing that."

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I do know that The Rock will be on Regis and Kelly on Wednesday, September 26th, talking about this newest film.  Also will be on Letterman next week.