John Cena has been a hero to countless members of the WWE Universe throughout his career, and together with “Good Housekeeping,” he’s helping celebrate a hometown hero.

Cena appears on the cover of the magazine’s latest issue alongside Lori Byrd, the winner of the magazine’s Hometown Heroes contest. Byrd is a firefighter from Jacksonville, Fla.

In the upcoming film “Playing with Fire,” Cena plays a firefighter who, along with his team, is tasked with babysitting three siblings. With a brother who is a police officer, first responders are especially near and dear to Cena’s heart.


Cena spoke to WWE.com about meeting Byrd for the shoot, recounting the story of how she rescued a mother and child from their car in a retention pond.

“She’s an outstanding human being,” he said. “It’s really fun when you can find someone who has found their purpose in life.”

Byrd flew to London for the photoshoot with Cena in the midst of preparing for a promotional exam, studying on the plane and getting little sleep. She was set to return to Jacksonville immediately after the shoot.

That frantic schedule hearkens to Cena’s own, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the 16-time World Champion.

“What that tells me about Lori? She would be more than fit to be a WWE Superstar,” Cena said. “Because she is constantly on the move, she’s not afraid to throw herself in harm’s way and she just doesn’t stop and will go around the world on a moment’s notice.

“If you ever feel like changing careers, Lori — I totally respect the profession you’ve chosen — but I think you’d do quite well with WWE.”

“Playing with Fire” opens in theaters Nov. 8.