Foley was born in Bloomington, Indiana. Shortly after he was born, Foley's family moved to Setauket, New York, where Foley attended Ward Melville High School, played lacrosse, and wrestled. Foley was also a high school classmate of comic actor Kevin James of The King of Queens. The two were on the wrestling team together. While a student at State University of New York at Cortland, he hitchhiked to Madison Square Garden to see his favorite wrestler, Jimmy Snuka, in a steel cage match against Don Muraco. Foley has said that Snuka's flying body splash from the top of the cage inspired him to pursue a career in pro wrestling.