Russell Wilson and Charlotte Flair have a shared connection that predates either of their current careers in professional football and WWE.
During Flair’s appearance on Set, Hut! with Russell Wilson and Kyle Long, Wilson revealed that he and the WWE star once had a class together while they were students at North Carolina State University. The conversation brought together two high-profile former NC State attendees whose professional paths have taken them into very different national spotlights.
Wilson’s football career has made him one of the most recognizable quarterbacks of his generation, while Flair has established herself as one of the defining names in modern WWE women’s wrestling. Their time at the same university adds an unexpected layer to a conversation that connected the worlds of major-league football, college athletics, and sports entertainment.
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A North Carolina State Connection
North Carolina State University is an important part of both Wilson’s and Flair’s backgrounds. Wilson played college football at NC State before continuing his collegiate career at Wisconsin and eventually entering the NFL. Flair attended NC State as well before her own athletic and entertainment career led her to WWE.
For more background on this topic, read Bronson Reed Calls Rey Mysterio One of the Hardest-Hitting WWE Stars He Has Faced.
The revelation that they attended at least one class together is notable because their professional careers developed in separate fields and on dramatically different timelines. It is also the kind of college connection that can remain unknown to many fans until it surfaces in a relaxed interview setting.
Flair is the daughter of Ric Flair, but her journey to WWE was not simply a continuation of her family name. She developed into an elite in-ring performer and became a centerpiece of WWE’s women’s division. Her career has included top championship reigns, major premium live event matches, and a long-standing place among the company’s most prominent active stars.
Wilson, meanwhile, emerged from college football to become an NFL quarterback with a résumé that includes a Super Bowl victory and years as one of football’s most visible players. The shared NC State class is a reminder that future stars in entirely different industries can cross paths long before their public profiles grow.
Charlotte Flair’s Place on SmackDown
Flair currently competes on WWE’s SmackDown brand. Her status as a major WWE attraction means that appearances outside the wrestling bubble naturally generate interest, particularly when they bring her together with athletes from other major sports.
On SmackDown, Flair is aligned with Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley. Bliss and Paxley are the reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, placing Flair in the middle of an active women’s division picture that includes both singles and tag team stakes.
Flair’s presence carries weight in any WWE environment. Across her career, she has been featured in high-pressure championship programs and has regularly been positioned as a competitor capable of changing the direction of the division. That history makes her current involvement alongside Bliss and Paxley significant, even as the tag champions hold the titles.
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship situation also gives the SmackDown roster another point of focus. Because the titles are central to a partnership involving Bliss and Paxley, Flair’s association with them invites attention to how that group dynamic may develop. WWE has often used alliances to create new opportunities, complications, and rivalries across its women’s roster.
From College Classmates to Different Stages
Wilson’s comment is particularly interesting because it reflects how college campuses can serve as a meeting point for people who later become influential in completely different arenas. At the time they shared a classroom, there was no way to measure the scale each would eventually reach in their respective careers.
Flair would go on to perform before WWE audiences around the world, becoming a familiar name to wrestling fans through her athletic style, championship success, and ability to thrive in featured positions. Wilson’s career took him from college football to the NFL, where he became a widely recognized figure both on and off the field.
Those paths also illustrate the different demands of their professions. NFL quarterbacks operate in a team sport built around weekly preparation, game plans, and an intensely scrutinized season. WWE performers combine athletic competition with live television, character work, travel, and the constant physical demands of a year-round schedule. While football and wrestling are distinct forms of competition, both require discipline, performance under pressure, and the ability to connect with a large audience.
The conversation on Wilson and Kyle Long’s program provided a setting for that overlap to come to light. Rather than focusing solely on accomplishments from the ring or football field, the exchange highlighted a more personal detail from before either person reached the current stage of their career.
Russell Wilson revealed that he and Charlotte Flair had a class together at North Carolina State University.
Why Crossover Conversations Matter
Wrestling and football have long shared audience overlap, and WWE stars frequently appear in broader sports and entertainment spaces. These appearances can introduce wrestlers to viewers who may not follow weekly WWE programming while giving longtime fans a chance to see performers in a different environment.
For Flair, an appearance involving Wilson and Long places her in a conversation with athletes who understand the public expectations that come with competing in front of massive audiences. It also reinforces how recognizable WWE’s top stars can become beyond the company’s programming.
Flair has been a prominent representative of WWE’s women’s division through multiple eras of its evolution. The growth of women’s wrestling as a major element of WWE programming has created room for performers to headline events, carry championship stories, and reach viewers well outside the traditional wrestling audience. Flair’s career has been deeply connected to that evolution.
Her ongoing role on SmackDown ensures that the focus will quickly return to what happens in WWE. The revelation about her college connection with Wilson is a notable personal story, but it does not change the immediate significance of her place within the women’s roster and her association with Bliss and Paxley.
Flair, Bliss, and Paxley Remain in Focus
With Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley holding the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, their partnership is a key part of the current landscape. Flair being paired with the champions gives viewers a group of established and emerging personalities to follow on SmackDown.
Bliss brings extensive experience at the highest level of WWE, while Paxley’s presence as a reigning champion adds another dimension to the team. Flair’s history of competing in marquee matches and championship situations makes the association especially notable. The combination gives WWE several directions to explore as its women’s division continues to move forward.
There is no need to overstate a college anecdote as an indicator of what will happen in the ring, but stories like this can help show a different side of a performer known primarily for competition. Flair’s NC State connection with Wilson is one of those details: a small but memorable piece of history between two people who went on to become major figures in their chosen sports.
For now, Flair remains a central name on SmackDown, while Wilson’s recollection has supplied fans with an unexpected look back at their shared time as NC State students. Their careers may have unfolded in different worlds, but for at least one class, the future WWE star and future NFL quarterback were classmates.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.