Teddy Long has revealed how he learned about being named "WWE SmackDown"General Manager.Long, who began his WWE career as a referee, eventually became an on-screen character and later the GM in 2004. He said during an appearance on David Otunga's YouTube channel that WWE kept the news a secret and informed him just five minutes before the show went on the air."There was never nothing talked to me about being general manager, nothing. The way I found out that I was going to be the general manager is about 5 minutes before we went live. One of the writers come to me and told me. He said, 'Hey, you know what's happening tonight?' I said, 'No, I don't.' He says, 'Vince is going to make you the general manager. Now, we got 4 minutes before we go live, okay?' So, now I'm freaked out because, I mean, I know the position I'm getting in now, and I'm out here with Vince and everybody, like, 'Oh my god.' So, I'm nervous and scared, but I mean, golly, I got to go. So, boom, that's how they kept it secret," he recalled.The veteran star had an inimitable, authentic style and character, which could be down to his success as a General Manager. He remembered the brief that WWE gave him to play the role, stating how he was trying to be himself."See, here's what they wanted me to be like. They wanted me to be a character, but see, I was never a character. I was me. You see me today, I'm the same guy. Player, holler at everybody. I'm just me," he said. "So, they wanted me to be like Don King. This is what they told me. You know, we got kind of a manager like that or something, you know? So, I didn't say no to them, and then, you know, I didn't do nothing. I just didn't think about Don King no more. I just thought about me."Long said Vince McMahon was a fan of his work, reportedly telling him that he wasn't used properly by other promotions in his career.
