Buffalo Bills sign Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson

US Olympic gold medalist and former WWE wrestler Gable Steveson has changed careers.

Friday afternoon, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Steveson was signing with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive tackle. The Bills confirmed the news about 30 minutes later, announcing they were releasing punter Matt Haack in an effort to free up a 90-man roster spot for Steveson.

Steveson won gold in the men’s 125 kilogram freestyle wrestling division at the 2020 Summer Olympics, defeating Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili 10-8 in the championship match. He signed with WWE NXT in August 2021 and spent almost three years with the organization before being released earlier in May.

According to Schefter, Steveson, 6’1″, 275 pounds, had never played football before and never wore cleats until he worked out for the Bills. Steveson, winner of two football championships, NCAA wrestling and three Big-10 championships as a wrestler at the University of Minnesota, told ESPN he knew he had a steep learning curve to maneuver, but was grasping it. opportunity presented to him.

In June 2019, after his first year with the Golden Gophers, Steveson was one of two wrestlers arrested on suspicion of criminal sexual misconduct. Neither Steveson nor his teammate were ultimately charged, with Hennepin County Prosecutor Mike Freeman suggesting in December 2019 that Minnesota’s laws regarding intoxication and consent left him with insufficient evidence in the case.

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Many pros played different sports before joining the NFL

They had more or less success

Steveson’s complete lack of soccer experience hurts his chances a bit, but that doesn’t stop him from contributing or thriving in professional soccer. As a wrestler, he has an innate understanding of the importance of leverage, which is something Bills head coach Sean McDermott – who has wrestling experience himself – knows that he can translate into quality play in the trenches.

Some of the greatest players in NFL history played other sports before taking the field. A number of tight ends, including Antonio Gates, spent their college tenures on the hardwood. Former wide receiver Chris Hogan played lacrosse at Penn State before turning to football. Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway in late March.

On the defensive line, former WWE and UFC star Brock Lesnar is by far the biggest name attempting to carve out a career in the NFL. Ironically, Lesnar also wrestled at the University of Minnesota before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2004. Steveson, however, hopes to advance a little further than his predecessor, who never played in a regular season match after being eliminated during the pre-season.

Source: Adam Schefter

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.

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