Gable Steveson teases visit with Buffalo Bills

What’s interesting is Bills head coach Sean McDermott has a wrestling background. During his time at La Salle College High School just outside Philadelphia, McDermott racked up back-to-back national prep titles with a record of 61-0 while surrendering just one takedown.

Steveson might like this one: McDermott spent some time with Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson.

“It was fascinating to watch the best of the best and how they do it, with the habits they have, the environment around practice, the environment around the program,” McDermott said of his Penn State visit a few years ago, via Fox Sports.

“I think it’s just really how an elite coach prepares his team for all parts of getting his players — his wrestlers, in this case — to perform at their best in mind, body and spirit, right? Not just the body but also the physiological part of the approach and what goes into it.”

Does this directly translate to an NFL tryout with the Bills and a roster spot for Steveson? Not necessarily. But it could be a logical fit should he try the profession.

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.”