Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most dominant college wrestlers in NCAA history, will jump to the NFL to sign with the Buffalo Bills, his agent Carter Chow told ESPN.
Steveson is signing the standard three-year rookie contract and now aims to join Bob Hayes as the only athlete to win a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal. The Bills also announced his signing on Friday.
Steveson said he knows the learning curve will be steep, but he is excited for the opportunity.
“I have been fortunate to compete at the highest level in my sport, but I am looking forward to the challenge of seeing how my wrestling skills can translate to football,” Steveson said. “I am grateful to the coach [Sean] McDermott, [GM] “Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity.”
The 6-foot-1, 275-pound Steveson is expected to play on the defensive line, something he has not done before during his athletic career. In fact, the first time Steveson put on a pair of shoes was at a recent workout for the Bills.
But McDermott, who has high school wrestling championship experience, wanted Steveson to play on the defensive line and believes he has the potential to make an impact. The Bills were impressed with his talent level, but they also know how raw he is, making him a potential ideal candidate for the practice squad in 2024.
The Bills weren't the only team to express interest in signing Steveson, according to Red Sobre Sports' Chow, but Buffalo has an excellent track record of making the most of defensive tackles with statures similar to Steveson's.
Steveson won a gold medal in wrestling at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. He returned to the University of Minnesota and was named the Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 2022. During his collegiate career, Steveson won two national championships and three Big Ten championships, and was a two-time winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is the wrestling equivalent Heisman Trophy college.
He was signed by WWE in 2021 before being released by the professional wrestling company earlier this month.
How Steveson got into football is another story. Chow is friendly with prominent MMA managers Dave Martin and Rich Chou at the MAG Agency. They have worked with many Olympic, UFC and WWE athletes over the years, including Steveson. Chow and Steveson were introduced when NFL opportunities began to arise. Once they did, Steveson opted for the Bills.
