The USC’s latest transferee, Jayden Maiava, has no relation to The Rock. The Rock has a relation to the Maivia family, not with Maiava.
The former UNLV player had shown signs he would return for a second season with the Rebels, but in the last few days, things have changed. On January 2, Jayden decided to enter the portal, and on January 9, his father announced Jayden would transfer to Georgia.
But on January 10, Jayden changed his stance and will transfer to USC. Jayden was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year after he passed for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 277 yards.
The youngster has never talked about his relationship with the WWE Superstar. And the actor has never spoken about having a nephew or relative playing at the collegiate level.
Many might know that Rock has a great interest in football, as he is one of three XFL owners. In December, Johnson released a statement about merging XFL’s operation with USFL to form the United Football League.
Is Jayden Maiava Related To The Rock?
The former UNLV football player Jayden Maiava is not related to The Rock. The two athletes have a similar-sounding last name, with The Rock related to the Maivia family from his mom’s side.
In fact, if we take a closer look at The Rock’s family tree, he is not blood-related to the Maivia family.
The WWE superstar, The Rock or Dwayne Douglas Johnson, is the son of Rocky Johnson and Ata Johnson. His mother, Ata, is the daughter of Samoan-American professional wrestler, actor, and stunt coordinator Peter Maivia.
But Ata isn’t the biological daughter of Peter Maivia. After marrying Ofelia “Lia” Fuataga, Peter adopted Ata, whom Ofelia had from her previous relationship.
Nonetheless, the wrestler-turned-actor, Johnson, is proud to be part of the Anoa’i family. The Anoa’i family is a family of professional wrestlers with American-Samoa heritage.
Rock’s grandmother, Ofelia, was one of the first female pro wrestling promoters and managed Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband’s demise.
One of the other famous WWE wrestlers with a relation to the Anoa’i family is Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns’ dad, Sika, saw Peter Maivia as their uncle.
In none of his interviews, Jayden Maiava has talked about his relationship with the famous Anoa’i family or with The Rock. If he had a blood relationship with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he certainly would have talked about it in an interview.
Jayden Maiava Family
Jayden Maiava’s family has kept themself out of the public limelight. The new USC player, Maiava, is one of eight kids of William and Jerushua Maiava.
They are native to Honolulu, Hawaii, and moved to Las Vegas when Jayden was 13. The quarterback comes from a religious background, with his uncles, aunts, and grandparents all playing an integral role in his life.
Previously, in an interview, Jayden said his entire family was invested in his footballing dream. His uncle, Keone, was the one who took him to summer camps and started him as a receiver.
Later, his father was the one who told him to switch to becoming a quarterback. His parents have a joint Facebook handle and have shared several family photos.
Recently, Jayden’s father, William, told ESPN that his son would transfer to Georgia from UNLV. But within a few days, this decision has once again changed.