Teddy Long Reveals Where "Playa" Originated, Talks Challenges Of Being WWE GM

Wrestling Inc.'s Andy Malnoske spoke with WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long during WrestleMania Weekend at WrestleCon in Manhattan to discuss where his signature "playa" catchphrase started. Long also talked about how keeping the fans happy was a challenging aspect to being a General Manager in WWE.

About his catchphrase, Long said it actually came from him playing around at home with his dog, "Boss."

"Well, this is a true story, too, I had a dog, a Labrador named Boss," Long said. "Every time Boss would get in the way, I would always mess with him, 'Move out the way playa, come on playa,' and I just took that to TV."

Most fans will remember Long for his extended tenure as SmackDown General Manager, starting in 2004 and lasting until 2012. The former GM was asked what specifically was tricky about being in that role, and he noted it was keeping the fans happy at all costs, even if it meant some of the wrestlers being unhappy.

"Well, the challenging part is to make sure the fans are happy," Long responded. "That's what I did, regardless of whether the wrestlers liked it or not, if that fans wanted it then that's how it gonna be. So, the challenging part is for me to have all that power and I'd never been in a position like that, never in my life.

"To me, it was a blessing from God and Vince McMahon believed in me, and I said, 'I can't let this man down.' Most [importantly], I can't let the fans down, I gave them what they wanted and I'm going to keep on giving you what you want as long as I'm standing, playas."

You can check out Wrestling Inc.'s full, exclusive interview with Teddy Long in the video above.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Wrestling Inc.