Gable Steveson is one of the most accomplished U.S. wrestlers in recent history — and he’s not stopping there.
Steveson agreed to a deal with the Buffalo Bills on Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, officially making the transition from the wrestling mat to the gridiron with a chance to develop into a useful piece for the Bills’ defensive line. Bills coach Sean McDermott wrestled at a high level in high school, making the fit a natural one despite Steveson’s lack of football experience.
“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.
Here’s what you need to know about Steveson’s wrestling background and what brought him to the NFL.
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Who is Gable Steveson?
Steveson is an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most accomplished wrestlers in NCAA history.
Born in Indiana, Steveson and his family moved to Minnesota after his wrestling career began to take off. Steveson spent his college career at the University of Minnesota, emerging as the most dominant collegiate wrestler in the nation.
Steveson won two national championships in three attempts, earning bronze in 2019 and gold in both 2021 and 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 competition. Steveson won gold at the Big Ten championships in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as well as silver in 2019.
The greatest accomplishment of Steveson’s career came in Tokyo, where he won gold in men’s freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021).
Steveson’s Minnesota career was briefly interrupted when he and a teammate were arrested on suspicion of criminal sexual misconduct in June 2019 and promptly suspended. It was announced six months later that no charges would be filed due to a lack of evidence.
Steveson signed with WWE in 2021 and made occasional appearances at WWE events in both 2022 and 2023. His most recent appearance came in January at Smackdown: New Year’s Revolution, but he was released from his WWE contract in May.
How old is Gable Steveson?
Steveson turned 24 years old Friday, the same day he agreed to a deal with the Bills.
Gable Steveson wrestling record
| Freestyle record | 40-6 |
| NCAA record | 85-2 |
Steveson only lost two matches at Minnesota, both to NCAA Division I champion Anthony Cassar. He was beaten by Cassar twice in his freshman season but never lost again, winning national championships in both 2021 and 2022 after the 2020 Division I championships were cancelled due to COVID-19.
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Gable Steveson height, weight
Steveson is 6-1 and 275 pounds. While that’s on the shorter end for a defensive lineman — only two of 25 defensive tackles measured in at 6-1 or shorter at this year’s NFL Combine — Steveson’s strength will be his biggest asset.
The Bills have also done a nice job of developing Ed Oliver, who stands at 6-1 himself. That was part of Stevenson’s rationale in choosing the Bills over other suitors, ESPN reported.
Many have tried to convert to football from another sport. Few have succeeded and established themselves as NFL regulars. Eagles OT Jordan Mailata and Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox are two recent examples of players who have opened a path for raw talents such as Steveson to get more NFL opportunities.
Mailata came from a rugby background and had limited knowledge about football when he joined the Eagles, but he developed into standout offensive tackle. Alie-Cox was a starter on VCU’s basketball team but hadn’t played football since his freshman year of high school when he signed with the Colts. He’s now entering his eighth NFL season.
The common thread between Mailata, Alie-Cox and Steveson, despite different backgrounds, is size and strength. Mailata and Alie-Cox both drew NFL interest because of their physical traits, and the traits that helped make Steveson such an accomplished wrestler are exactly what stand out to the Bills.
