The Buffalo Bills have added an Olympic gold medalist to their roster.
Olympic champion wrestler Gable Steveson signed with Buffalo as an undrafted free agent on Friday, the team announced. The Bills said Steveson, who's listed at 5-foot-11 and 266 pounds, will play defensive tackle.
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Just how big of a jump is the 24-year-old Steveson making as he shifts from the wrestling mat to the gridiron? Well, ESPN's Adam Schefter, who first reported the news, said Steveson's recent workout with Buffalo was the first time he ever wore a pair of cleats.
"I have been fortunate to compete at the highest level of competition in my sport but am looking forward to the challenge of seeing how my wrestling skills may translate to football," Steveson told ESPN. "I am grateful to Coach (Sean) McDermott, (general manager) Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity."
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Steveson's agent told Schefter the Bills weren't the only team that expressed interest in signing the heavyweight wrestler. He'll now play for a head coach in McDermott who was a two-time high school national wrestling champion growing up in Pennsylvania.
Steveson made history at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 by becoming the youngest freestyle wrestler to win gold in the super heavyweight division at just 21 years, two months and six days old. He defeated Georgia's Geno Petriashvili in the gold medal match.
After capturing an Olympic title, Steveson returned to the University of Minnesota and closed out a dominant college career. The Apple Valley, Minnesota, native won two NCAA championships and three Big Ten titles while posting the best winning percentage in program history at .977 (85-2 record) across four seasons with the Gophers. He was also the first-ever heavyweight wrestler to twice claim the Hodge Trophy, awarded to the nation's top wrestler.
Steveson signed with the WWE in 2021 and he was mostly part of its developmental brand, NXT, before being released in May.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
