Illinois high school football star earns contract with WWE: 'It was so worth the wait'
Former Illinois high school football star Josh Black waited 13 long days before he finally got the call from the WWE on Thursday afternoon, informing him that his tryout went as well as he thought it did, and that they wanted to sign him to a three-year rookie contract.
"I waited and waited; but it was so worth the wait," said Black, who had a WWE professional wrestling tryout in Detroit, Michigan, on Aug. 3-4. "I was a little struck. It was one of those moments, where you are like 'Is this really happening.'"
How it unfolded
Black is a 6-3, 290-pound former player at Machesney Park Harlem and Syracuse. The 25-year-old said he was nearly flawless about two weeks ago when he had the WWE tryout that he had been waiting for ever since his push for the NFL was halted.
He played six seasons of college football, starting every game on the Syracuse defensive line his final three years. He had 48 starts and played in 60 games over six seasons, with 155 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two fumble recoveries, an interception and two blocked kicks.
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He then battled for NFL roster spots, first with the Chicago Bears and then the New Orleans Saints, but was cut by the Saints on one of their last roster moves before the 2022 season opener.
Chasing dream(s)
Black didn't get another shot in the NFL, and so now he's ready to chase his second dream, which is to shine in the WWE spotlight.
"It was tough after I didn't make it in the NFL," Black said, "but now I know dreams do come true."
He was originally told they would find out if they earned a WWE rookie three-year contract, or nothing, almost right away. As the days ticked by, he started to wonder.
But he never lost hope.
"I was a little worried, sure, but I knew I had a good thing going. I knew I did well at that tryout," he said. "Now, I've got a contract coming in about a week, and then it's off to Orlando (Florida) in the next 2 or 3 months for a new life."
The next step
Black wore a costume to fit his "Egyptian God of War" theme for the tryout, and hopes that personality will stick in his days in the WWE. But it won't be up to him.
He will spend at least four days a week training in the WWE headquarters and training facilities in Orlando, Florida, and will be part of the developmental program, which puts on shows on Tuesday nights and has turned into a launching pad for plenty of current WWE stars.
What it could turn into
Some of those have gone on to huge success outside of the ring as well, like: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; John Cena; "Stone Cold" Steve Austin; Dave Bautista; Hulk Hogan; and Andre The Giant.
That's Black's next dream.
"I just hope it's something that sticks for me. It's so much fun," Black said of professional wrestling, which he has watched since he was a little kid. "This is going to be my time to showcase who I am.
"I can't wait to show the world who I am — and what I can do, baby."
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaft. Sign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Syracuse football star Josh Black of Illinois earns WWE contract
