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Gable Steveson, former star wrestler for Minnesota, reportedly signs NFL contract
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Gable Steveson is one of the best and most dominant heavyweight wrestlers in the history of the Big Ten. Now, the former Minnesota All-American and Dan Hodge Trophy winner is taking his talents to the gridiron.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Steveson is signing a rookie contract with the Buffalo Bills. He is looking to become just the second athlete ever to win an Olympic Gold Medal and a Super Bowl ring. (Bob Hayes, a gold medal sprinter at the 1964 Tokyo games and a Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, is the only other player to achieve that feat.)
Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most dominant college wrestlers in NCAA history, is signing with the Bills, per his agent Carter Chow.
Steveson now will try to join Bob Hayes as the only athlete to win a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal. pic.twitter.com/TfJn4Cd7B1
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 31, 2024
“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 said per ESPN. “I am grateful to Coach [Sean] McDermott, [GM] Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity.”
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Steveson is expected to play defensive line for the Bills. Though he has not played football before, he has a prototypical build at 6-foot-1 and 275 pounds and certainly has the raw athletic ability to learn the position as an elite wrestler.
While wrestling for the Gophers, Steveson won 3 B1G titles, 2 national championships and was a 2-time winner of the Dan Hodge Trophy. He also captured a gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Had the 2020 NCAA postseason not been canceled due to COVID, it’s possible Steveson would have another national title to his list of accomplishments.
Steveson signed with WWE on an NIL deal while with the Gophers but was released by the company earlier this month.
Making the jump to the ranks of the NFL is not something that will be easy, even for an accomplished athlete such as Steveson. Still, if he puts his mind to making the transition, he has the necessary physical makeup to compete with elite NFL players.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.