Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Trill Williams has made a major career change.
The 24 year old who played in Syracuse, was used by the liberation authority Dolphins just a few weeks after going unselected in the 2021 NFL draft.
As a rookie, he earned a spot on the 53-man roster, but played only one regular season game and 19 snaps on defense and special teams.
Williams was hoping for a more prominent role in the 2022 season, but tore his ACL during a preseason game and was placed on injured reserve before being released the following August.
It seems that the experience in the NFL didn't stop him from pursuing his sporting dream – albeit in a different way.
Now Williams has traded the football field for the squared circle to start a new career in professional wrestling.
He has reportedly signed a contract with after taking part in a trial training session in the summer.
This week he made his television debut with a backstage cameo on NXT.
“Trill made its first on-air appearance last night,” Dive Bar Podcast co-host Bobby Shouse wrote on X on Wednesday.
He also shared a short clip from Williams' cameo, which showed him in the background while Dion Lennox and Ashante Adonis chatted in the dressing room.
The former NFL player previously discussed his love of wrestling — and his tryouts — during an appearance on Shouse's podcast.
“Growing up, the first thing I ever wanted to do was be a wrestler,” he explained.
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“I was probably four or five years old, I walked into the living room and my dad was watching it on TV. I’ve fallen in love with it ever since.”
“But then reality hit and I thought, 'I have no idea how to get into wrestling.' I went back to playing football, basketball, baseball or another sport that I excelled at.”
“Having the opportunity to try it out was a blessing in itself. A lot of people can't say that. It was pretty cool. I had a great experience.”
Of course, Williams isn't the first football player to try to make the jump to professional wrestling.
the top star in the industry, was signed by the in May 2007 after going undrafted that year.
After his team's evaluation, he was diagnosed with leukemia and was due to die later that month signed, but released him before the season.
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Reigns – real name Leati Joseph Anoaʻi – then played one season in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos before eventually signing with WWE.
Thomas Pestock, known as Baron Corbin during his 12-year career with WWE that ended earlier this month, has also been signed by WWE and the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad before his wrestling career.
If Williams can perform even half as well as either of these two, he would certainly consider his move a success.
