Joshua Williams, Fayetteville State alum, has interception to send Chiefs to Super Bowl

Fayetteville State graduate Joshua Williams, also a Jack Britt High School alum, intercepted a pass from Joe Burrow during the fourth quarter of Sunday's AFC championship game and his Kansas City Chiefs went on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Arrowhead Stadium to earn their third trip to the Super Bowl in the last four years.

Williams' play came with 6:53 remaining and the score tied at 20. Burrow threw from the Cincinnati 36, gunning for receiver Tee Higgins on the right side of the field. Chiefs safety Bryan Cook, also a rookie HBCU alum who played at Howard before transferring to Cincinnati, batted the ball away before Higgins could reach it. Cook directed the tipped pass directly to Williams, who caught it easily and was tackled by Higgins at the 14 as he turned upfield.

NEXT LEVEL:Jack Britt alum Joshua Williams aims to be first Fayetteville State NFL Draftee since 1976

FIRST PICK:Fayetteville State football alum Joshua Williams' 1st NFL interception huge for Chiefs

The play came on third-and-3 as the Bengals had the momentum of a touchdown on their previous possession followed by a forced punt on defense.

After Williams' pick, the teams traded punts and then Kansas City's Harrison Butker made a 45-yard field goal with 3 seconds left to seal the win.

Williams, a 6-foot-3 cornerback, was drafted in the fourth round after four years with reigning CIAA champion Fayetteville State. He is the first Broncos alum selected in an NFL Draft since running back James Godwin went to the New York Jets in the sixth round in 1976.

Williams made five tackles in the AFC championship game, four of them solo. Over the course of the regular season, he averaged 7.0 tackles per game, defended seven passes and had two tackles for loss. His only NFL interception prior to Sunday's came in the end zone against the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 23.

The Chiefs (14-3) will face the Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12 (6:30 p.m., Fox).

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Chiefs' Joshua Williams, HBCU, intercepts Burrow in AFC championship