It is not unusual for other athletes to try their hands at the NFL in an attempt to switch disciplines, and on Friday, the Buffalo Bills welcomed Olympic gold medallist wrestler Gable Steveson to the team. The wrestler is known for his exploits on the mat, and had been signed to WWE until earlier in the month, and he now has a three-year contract in the NFL.
Olympic gold medallist wrestler Gable Steveson will sign for the Buffalo Bills in a move to the NFL.
Steveson made his name in college wrestling, and the New York side announced they would be signing the athlete on Friday.
He is signing a rookie three-year contract with the Bills.
“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.
“I am grateful to Coach [Sean] McDermott, [GM] Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity.”
Steveson stands at 6’1” and weighs 275 lbs, and is reportedly going to play defensive line, and he is far from experienced in the sport as he only started playing in a workout for the Bills.
He should now join the practice squad for 2024 if his transition is successful, allowing him the chance to get experience in his new sport.
In wrestling, Steveson won the freestyle gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, and won the Big Ten Athlete of the Year the following year.
While at college he won the national championships twice, and three Big Ten championships, and won the Dan Hodge Trophy twice.
While gridiron is a departure for Steveson, he has experience of switching disciplines. He had been signed to the WWE, with the sports entertainment franchise letting him go earlier in May.
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