Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Trill Williams as officially signed a professional wrestling contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and made his debut on the NXT circuit Tuesday night on The CW.
Although Williams has yet to compete in his first match and hasn’t chosen a stage name, both are expected to be announced soon.
By making the transition to professional wrestling, Williams joins a growing list of former Dolphins players who have pivoted to the sport. He follows in the footsteps of former nose tackle A.J. Francis (a.k.a. Suga Baby or Dolla) and linebacker Edward “Wahoo” McDaniel, both of whom also turned to wrestling after their NFL careers.
The NXT circuit is WWE’s entry-level wrestling program, with three levels: WWE, Smackdown, and NXT. NXT airs on The CW on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. EDT.
Williams attended an NXT open tryout over the summer and impressed WWE scouts, earning a contract and making his first appearance on Tuesday night.
Before his professional wrestling career, Williams played college football at Syracuse University as a defensive back, recording four interceptions from 2018 to 2020. After going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, he signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent, but was waived and later claimed by the Miami Dolphins. Williams was active for five regular-season games during the 2021 season, including some defensive and special teams action in the Dolphins’ season finale. He spent the entirety of the 2022 season on injured reserve and was waived by Miami in August 2023. Afterward, he attended the WWE tryout that led to his signing.
Williams now embarks on his second professional sports career, aiming to make a name for himself in the wrestling ring.
In August, he shared on The Dive Bar podcast that his dream of becoming a wrestler began in his youth, stating, “Growing up, the first thing I ever wanted to do was be a wrestler… A lot of people can’t say that they went to a WWE tryout — that’s a blessing in itself.”
Williams is part of a growing list of former football players who have transitioned to WWE, including Roman Reigns (Minnesota Vikings), Bron Breakker (Baltimore Ravens), former WWE Superstar Baron Corbin (Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts), and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), who played football professionally with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League and was part of the University of Miami’s 1991 National Championship team.
