Mankato, Minn. ? The money, glamour and perks provided by Brock Lesnar’s lifestyle as a professional wrestler just weren’t bringing him happiness, so he decided to leave.

Now the former World Wrestling Entertainment champion, who performed with the moniker “The Next Big Thing,” is trying to make a new name for himself — in the NFL.

Lesnar hasn’t played football since 1995, when he was a high school senior in Webster, S.D. But his brawn, quickness and tenacity were enough to convince the Minnesota Vikings he was worth signing and bringing to training camp as a defensive tackle.

“All I can ask for is the opportunity,” said Lesnar, a one-time NCAA wrestling champion at Minnesota who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds. “I know I’m a quick learner, and I know I’m coachable.”

He’ll have to be. Bodyslams aren’t allowed, and nobody wears a feather boa. Success, or lack thereof, is determined solely by his distance from the ball.

“He’s got a long way to go before his form is any good,” coach Mike Tice said. “We’re excited to see his work ethic … but he’s got a long road to haul.”

Lesnar realizes that.

Minnesota's Chris Hhovan, left, works out with ex-wrestler Brock Lesnar during Vikings camp. Lesnar, shown Saturday in Mankato, Minn., hasn't played football since high school.

“I just know I’m athletic,” he said. “I’ve loved football since I was a young kid. I’m not going to make any expectations. … I just want to do well.”

Teammates are embracing Lesnar’s tryout — rather than rolling their eyes.

“Brock is a guy with great ambition,” said tackle Chris Hovan, who is rooming with Lesnar during camp. “Any chance he needs to get better, I’ll help.”

Lesnar insists this isn’t a publicity stunt. Then-Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy expressed interest in Lesnar after his college career was over, according to one of Lesnar’s agents, Ed Hitchcock.

Brock Lesnar appears at the World Wrestling Entertainment event Wrestlemania XX. Lesnar, shown March 14 in New York, is hoping to make the Minnesota Vikings' roster.

“Football is something he’s always wanted to pursue,” Hitchcock said.

The tour kept Lesnar on the road about 280 days a year. Staying at home in the Midwest and being a father to his 2-year-old daughter are more important to him now, though, than the millions he left on the table.

“I’m just a regular guy,” he said. “Money’s just money. I’ve been a poor dairy farmer in western South Dakota, and I’ve been a millionaire. I wasn’t any happier.”

The Vikings held their first full-pad practice Monday morning, when Lesnar got his first real taste of pro football. Playing with the third-string defense during team drills, his inexperience clearly showed. Up against the third-team offense, Lesnar was stood up at the line and pushed down the field several times.

He did make a tackle.

“He got his first kiss today,” Tice said. “He’s growing up some.”