From Trade to Triumph: Seahawks Lineman Sees God’s Hand in Super Bowl Run

Published: January 30, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams could not be any more grateful for “God’s will” as he plays in his first Super Bowl.

When Williams first entered the NFL, he attended a Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO) conference in 2021. At the time, he wasn’t sure about his faith but was open-minded and eager to learn.

“Even though I didn’t claim to be a religious man or a righteous man, I was going into this open-hearted and open-minded,” he revealed on an episode of the “Sports Spectrum” podcast last year. “There were obviously a lot of walls that came up for me just because I’m learning, but overall, I just learned at PAO [about] the community that it brings and the love that was shared; you just see all these families and people from different walks and backgrounds all coming together, uplifting each other. It was just all about love and support.”

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Since 2021, Williams has attended the conference every year, and now, faith plays a big role in his life.

Williams experienced a midseason trade in 2023 from the New York Giants to the Seattle Seahawks, a move that has now propelled him to a Super Bowl.

“When you always see even the hardships in your life as God’s will, not just the highlights of your life, it kind of brings you to peace,” he said. “It’s like these times when I have to get traded from a New York team all the way to the West Coast in Seattle in the middle of a season, in those moments I could easily break down. But when I see it as God’s will, it kind of brings peace to your life. Maybe there’s going to be great things for me to come in Seattle, and so far it has been great. It’s been a great move for us.”

After the Seahawks beat the Rams on Jan. 25 to win the NFC Championship, Williams told the media, “This means so much. It’s been a dream to be in a situation like this. It means even more to me to be here with these guys that I’ve been battling with every day. I think that’s the reason why this year will be so memorable for me — not because of the winning, but because of the men in this locker room, how close we are, how much we love each other, how much we ride for each other. That type of brotherhood we have will last for a lifetime.”

The Seahawks are set to take on the New England Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 8, for a chance to win Super Bowl LX.

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