One of the greatest wrestlers in NCAA history is giving pro football a try.
The Buffalo Bills are signing two-time NCAA Division I national champion and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson as a defensive tackle, the team announced Friday. In a corresponding move, the Bills released punter Matt Haack.
Steveson, 24, compiled an illustrious career as a three-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, and claimed the freestyle wrestling gold medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics. He had a brief stint in professional wrestling's WWE.
At 6-foot-1, Steveson wrestled in the heavyweight class in college -- which caps out at 285 pounds -- but is listed at 265 pounds, making for a light interior defensive lineman. If he added 20 pounds, he'd mirror Aaron Donald in terms of basic measurables, but there's no telling where he currently stands in terms of weight.
If anything, Steveson has earned consideration thanks to his decorated wrestling career and athleticism, and Buffalo is taking a look at him in the summer, when roster allotments allow for such experimentation. We'll see where he fits in and if he proves to be a savvy addition.
