BRAKING NEWS: BUFFALO BILLS SIGNS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST WRESTLER IN A DRAMATIC........

BRAKING NEWS: BUFFALO BILLS SIGNS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST WRESTLER IN A DRAMATIC……..

Gable Steveson, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most formidable college wrestlers in NCAA history, is transitioning to the NFL to join the Buffalo Bills, according to his agent Carter Chow, as reported by ESPN.

At 24 years old, Steveson will sign a standard three-year rookie contract and aims to achieve a rare feat by joining Bob Hayes as one of the few athletes to win both a Super Bowl and an Olympic gold medal. The Bills officially announced the signing on Friday.

Steveson acknowledged that the transition to football will be challenging but expressed enthusiasm about the new opportunity. “I’ve been lucky to compete at the highest level in my sport, and now I’m eager to see how my wrestling skills will translate to football,” Steveson said. “I’m thankful to Coach [Sean] McDermott, [GM] Brandon Beane, and the Buffalo Bills organization for this chance.”

The 6-foot-1, 275-pound Steveson is expected to play on the defensive line, a new position for him. In fact, his first experience with football cleats was at a recent Bills workout. Coach McDermott, who has a background in championship high school wrestling, believes in Steveson’s potential for the defensive line and sees him as a promising practice squad candidate for 2024.

Despite interest from other teams, Chow of Red Envelope Sports noted that the Bills have a strong history of developing defensive tackles with similar profiles to Steveson’s.

Steveson, who captured a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, returned to the University of Minnesota and was named Big Ten Athlete of the Year in 2022. His college career included two national championships and three Big Ten championships, along with two Dan Hodge Trophies, which are the collegiate wrestling equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

In 2021, Steveson signed with WWE but was released from the company earlier this month.

Steveson’s move to football came about through connections between Chow and notable MMA managers Dave Martin and Rich Chou of MAG Agency, who have worked with a range of Olympic, UFC, and WWE athletes. As NFL opportunities arose, Steveson chose to join the Bills.