Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on why he named movie character after Chiefs great

When Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson learned his character in the movie "Rampage" would have ties to a Nigerian family, he had a request.

Could the character's name be in honor of former Chiefs running back Christian Okoye?

Okoye, whose nickname was the "Nigerian Nightmare," rushed for 4,897 career yards in six seasons, and he is a member of the Chiefs Hall of Fame. Okoye led the league in rushing (1,480 yards) and attempts (370) in 1989, and he made one of his two Pro Bowl appearances that season.

Someone on Twitter noted that Johnson's movie character was named Okoye and was Nigerian.

That's when Johnson spilled the beans about his love for Okoye.

"Rampage," based on one of the underrated video games of the 1980s, opens Friday.

This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on why he named movie character after Chiefs great."