Austin started his professional wrestling career after playing college football at the University of North Texas. He became "Stunning" Steve Austin in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 1995, using the character of a handsome man who relied on his good looks and flowing blonde hair. After a brief stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in late 1995, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring name of The Ringmaster. The following year, having grown a goatee and shaved his head due to going bald, he was repackaged as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. After this character change, he gained significant mainstream popularity as a brash, vulgar, beer-drinking antihero who routinely defied the establishment and his boss, WWE chairman Vince McMahon. Austin thus became the "poster boy" of the Attitude Era. He was forced to retire from in-ring competition in 2003 due to multiple knee injuries and a serious neck injury. Throughout the rest of 2003 and 2004, he was featured as the on-screen Co-General Manager and Sheriff of "Raw".