These days, Trick Williams is a champion on WWE’s main roster, but he almost had a very different career path. Williams opened up about his journey from football to pro wrestling during an appearance on “Battleground Podcast.”

“I would say the hardest part, for me, was accepting the fact that I was no longer a football player,” Williams said. “When I tried out [for WWE] for the first time, this was at the end of 2018. I’m fresh out of [training] camp with the [Philadelphia] Eagles. … I’d been playing football for 20 years up to that point, and my identity was kind of wrapped up in being a football player.”

Williams was excited to have an opportunity with WWE, but that first tryout didn’t result in him joining the company. After that, he experienced a period of doubt, feeling unsure if he should continue to pursue football or pro wrestling. That decision was made even more difficult because he had no contacts within the wrestling industry, and had no idea how to handle things like getting his gear or building a persona.

“There was a moment in time where I had to really sit down to think, ‘This 10,000 followers I have on social media, or whatever the case is – everybody knows me as Matrick Belton, the football player,'” Williams continued. “Am I okay with getting rid of all of that? What everybody knows me as?”

At that crossroads, Williams made the tough choice to leave football behind him and put all his effort into learning the wrestling business. It paid off. Belton began training and eventually signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2021. He has since become a two-time WWE NXT Champion, an NXT North American Champion, and Williams captured the United States Championship at WWE WrestleMania 42.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Battleground Podcast” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.