Gable Steveson, a 2020 Olympic gold medal wrestler and former WWE prospect, is set to be released from the Buffalo Bills roster after he attempted to make a career switch to play in the NFL.
NFL Network first reported the news as teams prepare to cut down to the 53-man roster required by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Without a single down of football experience prior to 2024, Steveson decided to try his hand at football as he followed in the footsteps of fellow University of Minnesota wrestling standout Brock Lesnar after he attempted a similar move during his career. Lesnar left WWE and worked out with the Minnesota Vikings during the preseason but ultimately he suffered the same fate with his release before eventually becoming one of the biggest stars in the UFC.
Steveson making the final roster was always a longshot considering his lack of experience but as a developmental prospect there’s a chance he could still get signed to a different roster or a practice squad as the NFL season gets underway in less than two weeks.
Prior to his attempt to play professional football, Steveson was widely considered one of the best wrestlers on the planet after he delivered a thrilling performance to capture gold with a last second takedown at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Following that win, Steveson returned to college where he crushed his competition before winning a second NCAA championship.
Even before his Olympic run, Steveson had expressed interest in potentially pursuing fighting or professional wrestling but he ultimately decided to sign with WWE after winning his gold medal. Unfortunately, Steveson never quite developed the way WWE had hoped and he was released from the roster in May.
That led to Steveson’s decision to switch to professional football where he played defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills and recorded three tackles during limited action on the field during the preseason.
Now Steveson, who is still only 24 years old, has been released from the Bills roster and it remains to be seen what he plans to do next in his career.
MMA then Stand Up Comedy are the next steps.
He will run through everyone in the UFC.
Good on him for trying, but def not a shock
It’s been done before.
WWE was always a weird fit for him. His wrestling credentials were only gonna go so far there. Thing is Brock also looked like a fucking monster and had an aura about him that Gable lacks, and Kurt Angle was pretty good in terms of mic and character work, which Gable isnt.
Hes still young and will obviously end up in MMA soonish. Which is where he should have been post Olympics anyway.
Gable just doesn’t have the build for WWE, his face looks kind of soft, he talks kind of goofy, he should just wrestle and then try MMA if he can take a punch.
I’m surprised more high level wrestlers haven’t tried to follow Neal’s footsteps. Here’s what I found:
Top 10 Wrestlers Who Played In NFL (nwhof.org)
Top 10 Wrestlers Who Played In NFL
- Stephen Neal, New England Patriots OL** – 1999 World freestyle champion, 2x NCAA wrestling champion (Cal-Bakersfield) 4th 1996, 2nd 1997, 1st 1998, 1st 1999
- Carlton Haselrig, Pittsburgh Steelers OL** – 3x NCAA Div. I champion, 3x NCAA Div. II champion (Pitt-Johnstown), Div. I champion (1987-1989), Div. II champion (1987-1989), 3rd 1986 Div. II
- Bob Pickens, Chicago Bears, OL – 1964 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman Team member
- Jim Nance, New England Patriots, RB – 2x NCAA wrestling champion (Syracuse), 1963 and 1965 champion
- Curley Culp, Kansas City Chiefs, DL – NCAA wrestling champion (Arizona State), 1967 champion
- Art Baker, Buffalo Bills, RB – NCAA wrestling champion (Syracuse), 1959 champion
- Bob Golic, Cleveland Browns, DL – 2x NCAA wrestling All-American (Notre Dame), 3rd 1978, 4th 1977
- Charlie Getty, Kansas City Chiefs, OL – 2x NCAA wrestling All-American (Penn State), 3rd 1974, 5th 1973
- Steve Sefter, Philadelphia Eagles, DL – 2x NCAA wrestling All-American (Penn State), 4th 1985, 6th 1981
- John Ward, 3 NFL teams, OL – NCAA All-American wrestler (Oklahoma State), 3rd 1969
Honorable Mention (also NCAA All-Americans)
Ralph Cindrich, LB, Houston/Denver/New England– NCAA All-American wrestler (Pitt), 4th 1969
Antonio Garay, DT, San Diego/Chicago/Cleveland – NCAA All-American wrestler (Boston College), 4th 2000
Lorenzo Neal, 7 NFL teams, RB – NCAA All-American wrestler (Fresno State), 7th 1992
** Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
I remember Bob Golic when he played for the Raiders, never knew he was a 2x NCAA All-American wrestler.
Also, Lorenzo Neal with the Chargers.
Gable could try to switch to the OL like Stephen Neal did, but he’d probably need to put on some weight.
Bill Murray, who just made the Bears 53-man roster (yes, I know lots of jokes to be had with Bill Murray in Chicago). He also successfully switched from DL to OL while with the Patriots.
His Cousins were my nabes back a while . Ive met him and his bro. Then i worked for a while for the Raiders
Bob Golic definitely played football in college.
So the Division III champion during this period was allowed to enter the II tournament and the II winner got a spot in the DI bracket. This fucker won all three for three years in a row. Pretty sure he fought MMA later in life too.
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 3–2 | Shawn Jordan | TKO (punches) | UCFC – Rumble on the Rivers | June 27, 2009 | 1 | N/A | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 3–1 | Chris Larkin | TKO (punches) | IWFC – Iron Will Fighting Championship 1 | May 6, 2009 | 1 | 3:18 | Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Loss | 2–1 | Joe Abouata | Submission (rear naked choke) | BCX 5 – Battle Cage Xtreme 5 | July 12, 2008 | 2 | 4:10 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Carlos Moreno | TKO (strikes) | EliteXC: Primetime | May 31, 2008 | 1 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Shane Ott | TKO (strikes) | Battle Cage Xtreme 4 | April 19, 2008 | 1 | 4:09 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States |
Neal at least played in HS. Stevenson never played at any level before attempting to crack the NFL. Good on him for trying but you’re comparing apples to oranges.
We talggin cubba cawlfee with the Bills Bapa?
Pretty good explainer… what an excellent athletic career.
Drafted without even playing football.