'The Rock' right, and wife Dany Garcia Johnson. - ap

coral gables, florida (ap)

Actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and wife Dany Garcia Johnson have given $1 million to the University of Miami's football facilities renovation fund, and will have the Hurricanes' locker room named in his honour.

It is the largest gift former student athletes have ever made to the university's athletic department.

"They are committed to the university, to the success of the entire university, but today to the success of our football programme," Miami president Donna Shalala said.

Dwayne Johnson is a 1995 graduate of Miami and a former Hurricanes football player. Dany Garcia Johnson is also a Miami graduate and former rower for the Hurricanes, plus now is an alumni trustee of the university. They made a $2 million gift last year to help fund the construction of an on-campus alumni centre.

"This very generous gesture by the Johnsons is just another example of their support of the University of Miami," football coach Randy Shannon said.

In Dwayne Johnson's latest film, "The Game Plan," he plays a quarterback whose bachelor lifestyle is disrupted by the arrival of a daughter he never knew he had. It debuted last weekend as the top movie in the U.S., making $23 million.

"I have said it time and time again, that this programme was a launching pad for my success," Dwayne Johnson said.

The couple announced their separation in June, but they say they remain close.