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Before Trick Williams entered the ring, Matrick Belton was tearing up the football field.
Belton was a top high school football player in South Carolina before he decided to commit to Hampton University and later join the University of South Carolina as a walk-on. He ended up graduating from South Carolina and attempted to make the Philadelphia Eagles roster in mini-camp.
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Trick Williams celebrates during WrestleMania 42: Night 2 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
The football dream failed to materialize but WWE would influence him to train as a pro wrestler. He made his WWE NXT debut in September 2021 and quickly became a fan favorite.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, he shed some light on how playing college football prepared him to make the jump to pro wrestling.
“Just learning how to persevere,” he said. I played at Hampton and I decided to walk on at the University of South Carolina. Being a walk-on was not easy and it taught me how to be mentally strong. I remember there were certain times when I was like, ‘Hey man you don’t get to spend time with the rest of the team. You don’t get these extra meals with the rest of the team.’
WWE United States Champion Trick Williams makes his entrance during SmackDown at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 24, 2026. (Michael Marques/WWE)
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“I remember this big chip on my shoulder. I have to prove myself to you. I have to prove myself to the rest of the coaches. I have to prove myself to the world. That chip ain’t going nowhere man. That why I grind so hard. …”
Belton reached his peak at NXT, winning the NXT Championship twice, the NXT North American Championship and even holding the Total Nonstop Action (TNA) World Championship at one point.
He made his WrestleMania 42 debut against Sami Zayn on Sunday night and beat him or the United States Championship.
Trick Williams attends Netflix Presents: The Raw Brunch in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 20, 2026. (David Becker/Getty Images for Netflix)
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The entire audience of more than 50,000 people was singing “Whoop that Trick” as he came down the ring. It’s a testament to how far he has come as a pro wrestler and an athlete.