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Buffalo Bills sign wrestler who won gold medal in 2020 Olympics: What to know

Minnesota's Gable Steveson, left, wrestles Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet at 285 pounds in the semifinals during the fourth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Friday, March 18, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.
Minnesota's Gable Steveson, left, wrestles Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet at 285 pounds in the semifinals during the fourth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Friday, March 18, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.

We all know Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott has a special affinity for wrestlers, so maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the greatest wrestlers in history, Gable Steveson, is joining the team.

The Bills announced Friday that they have signed Steveson to a standard three-year rookie contract even though he has never played football. The 6-foot-1, 275-pounder will try to make the team as a defensive lineman.

To make room on the roster, the Bills cut punter Matt Haack.

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“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’s Adam Schefter. “I am grateful to coach McDermott, (general manager) Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity.”

Steveson, who was in Buffalo recently for a workout, was a dominant wrestler throughout high school and then at the University of Minnesota where he won two NCAA championships, three Big Ten championships, was the 2022 Big Ten Athlete of the Year, and was twice awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy which is the wrestling equivalent to college football’s Heisman Trophy.

Minnesota's Gable Steveson reacts after his match at 285 pounds in the finals during the sixth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.
Minnesota's Gable Steveson reacts after his match at 285 pounds in the finals during the sixth session of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.

Steveson made the U.S. Olympic team for the 2020 Games in Tokyo and won a gold medal in freestyle in the heavyweight division.

Since the Olympics Steveson had been training with the WWE and has made several appearances professionally including at Wrestlemania 38 in 2022.

Steveson is named after wrestling legend Dan Gable, a 1972 Olympic gold medalist who went on to become a coaching icon at the University of Iowa where he won multiple national championships and mentored dozens of All-Americans.

His chances of making the Bills’ 53-man roster are slim, but he could be a candidate for the practice squad because it is known that McDermott believes his skill set and strength could really benefit him in the middle of the defensive line.

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana. To subscribe to Sal's newsletter, Bills Blast, which comes out every other Friday during the offseason, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Gable Steveson signs with Buffalo Bills: What to know about Olympian