 A talented athlete, he also played football in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders.Marvin Eastman was born and raised in Merced, California, where he grew up wrestling and playing American football.Eastman began wrestling with his older brother's junior varsity team at an early age, going on to dominate for the Merced High School wrestling team, going undefeated (42-0) in his senior year and winning the California State Wrestling Championship at the 86.6 kilogram/191 pound weight-class.