Matrick Belton, known to WWE fans as Trick Williams, captured the United States Championship at WrestleMania on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium, pinning Sami Zayn to claim his first WWE title. The victory marked the latest milestone in a career that began with aspirations of NFL glory.

Williams, a former South Carolina wide receiver, had long dreamed of playing in the Super Bowl. Instead, he found himself headlining WWE’s biggest event in a stadium that hosted Super Bowl LVIII. “I always had visions of myself playing in the Super Bowl and performing at halftime. I thought I could do both,” Williams said Monday at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. “Here I am at WrestleMania, which is our Super Bowl, and performing as an entertainer. That’s why WWE fits me so well.”

Belton walked on at South Carolina after playing two seasons at Hampton. He played 12 games in 2015 under Steve Spurrier, catching 11 passes for 121 yards. His role diminished under Will Muschamp in 2016 after an injury, but his size and athleticism earned him a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018. When NFL offers dried up, he reached out to the XFL and was redirected to professional wrestling.

“It’s not that I haven’t loved the game,” Williams said. “My first curse words were quoting Stone Cold Steve Austin when I was 3 years old. I just never thought about myself actually pursuing it until then. Now, here we are today and we’re champion.”

Williams tried out in late 2018, signed a WWE development deal in 2021, and made his main roster debut in January 2025. His rapid rise culminated in Sunday’s title win, which was witnessed by several NFL stars, including George Kittle and Rob Gronkowski. “It was almost like getting back to my roots to see all these NFL guys,” Williams said. “I was with Gronk last night. It’s just a beautiful thing because I respect the game and I see there’s a mutual respect because we are now sharing the same locker rooms.”