The Buffalo Bills announced on Friday that they have signed Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Gable Steveson to a contract. Despite his success in the 125kg weight class at the Tokyo Olympics where he won a gold medal, the Bills have listed Steveson as a defensive tackle. In an interview with ESPN, Steveson expressed his excitement for the challenge of seeing how his wrestling skills will translate to football and thanked Coach Sean McDermott, GM Brandon Beane, and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving him the opportunity.
Steveson made history at the Tokyo Olympics as the youngest freestyle wrestler to win gold in the super heavyweight division at just 21 years old. Following his success in Tokyo, Steveson signed with World Wrestling Entertainment but was released earlier this month. In addition to his Olympic achievements, Steveson had a successful NCAA career wrestling for the University of Minnesota where he was a two-time national champion and a three-time All-American. Known for his celebratory running flips after winning matches, Steveson has gained fame beyond the wrestling world.
As an undrafted free agent, Steveson will wear number 61 for the Buffalo Bills. He is among a growing number of high-profile athletes making the switch to the NFL this season, including Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit who agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in March. If you want to stay updated on more news and information from CNN, create an account at CNN.com for access to their latest updates and newsletters.
