Buffalo Bills sign gold medalist Gable Steveson

Can a talented wrestler make the jump to the NFL?

Gable Steveson of the Minnesota Golden Gophers defeats Cohlton Schultz of the Arizona State Sun Devils in the 285-pound final match at the 2022 Division I Men’s Wrestling Championship.

There is a long and rich history of football players gaining a foothold in other sports. Jim Thorpe is probably the first name that comes to mind, along with Bob Hayes, who spent much of his career with the Dallas Cowboys and also won two gold medals at the 1964 Olympics. Bo Jackson spent several seasons playing in the NFL and MLB, and many placekickers have also relied on their football background to play, well, the other type of football.

And now the list of football players with rich experience in another sport has grown a little. Gable Steveson, the 2020 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medalist, recently signed with the Buffalo Bills. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter pointed out, depending on how Steveson’s career progresses and the Bills’ playoff hopes, Steveson could be the first player since Hayes to have both a Super Bowl ring and a medal Golden.

After his storied college wrestling career, Steveson spent several years in WWE. As Sean Rueter noted at Cageside Seats, NXT released Steveson last month.

Steveson is aware of the challenges he will face moving from one sport to another. “I have been fortunate to compete at the highest level of competition in my sport, but I am looking forward to the challenge of seeing how my wrestling skills can translate to football,” he told ESPN.

Schefter reports that Steveson will likely play defensive line for his new team. It’s worth noting here that his new coach, Sean McDermott, is a former wrestler himself. It’s an unlikely move to bring in an athlete who made his name in a very different sport — but it’s not hard to see why the Bills took the risk.