Bo Nickal and Jason Nolf think Gable Steveson could have success with the Buffalo Bills despite never playing football before.
The Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time NCAA wrestling champion from Minnesota signed with the Bills this offseason and will attempt to make the team as a defensive tackle. Head coach Sean McDermott has a wrestling background and wanted to give a chance to the Olympian.
Nickal and Nolf, who were both three-time NCAA champions at Penn State, did not predict Steveson to make the roster, but he’s got a shot.
“Well, I think it does. I think for sure,” Nolf said on Nickals and Dimes. “I mean, you saw with Adam Coon (when he signed) with the Titans a couple years ago ended up getting cut but you know, it’s worth a shot to figure out if he’s good or not. And he’s one of the … obviously best wrestlers in America and he’s a heavyweight and he’s super athletic.”
It’s been done before, but there’s no doubt Steveson is up against it. If anything, the former Gopher is a quick learner.
“I mean, I think he can do really well,” Nickal said. “You’ve seen other guys do it. Stephen Neal is probably the best example. He was a national champion in college, and then went on to win the Super Bowl a bunch of times for the Patriots. And so I mean, it’s not like it’s happening every year but it’s possible.”
Steveson initially retired from wrestling after the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships, after he won his second national title. The initial tease of a collegiate return came amid his victory at Final X where he earned the United State World Team spot at 125 KG.
At the college level, Steveson finished with 86-2 over the course of four seasons at Minnesota. The 2020 campaign ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he finished third at the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
“The itch and fire will never go away,” Steveson said last June regarding wrestling. “And I feel like if you ask any competitor, old or young, I think it’s always there.
“But some people just don’t have the bodies to do it because they’re a little older. But I think me just turning 23, I still had that extra fire and I want to see what I could do. I wanted to test my limits. And so I stayed ready just in case the time came where I could come back.”
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