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There are certain jobs that are fairly easy to fake your way through if you don’t have any experience, but “NFL player” definitely isn’t on that list. That didn’t stop college wrestling legend Gable Steveson from trying to earn a spot on a roster, but he came up short in his quest to defy the odds.
Gable Steveson isn’t exactly a household name among sports fans, but it’s hard not to be impressed by what the 24-year-old has been able to achieve during his time on the planet so far.
After racking up four state titles as a high school wrestler in Minnesota (where he also went 171 matches without a loss), Steveson took his talents to the University of Minnesota to kick off a college career that ended with him winning two national championships and earning All-American honors three times while losing a grand total of two matches.
Steveson was still a member of the Gophers when he headed to Tokyo to compete at the Summer Olympics before returning with the gold medal he secured in the 125 kg freestyle competition. and he subsequently attempted to follow in the footsteps of Kurt Angle by inking a deal with the WWE.
That move didn’t work out as planned, as Steveson only appeared in a single televised match before he was released from his contract earlier this year. However, he didn’t waste much time attempting to pivot yet again, as the Buffalo Bills decided to give a man who’d never played organized football in his life the chance to make their roster by signing him to a three-year rookie contract.
That deal hinged on the team’s hopes it would be able to harness the raw talent of a 6’1″, 275-pound athletic freak while molding him into a serviceable defensive end, and Steveson didn’t look too out of place when he played in his first preseason game earlier this month.
With that said, he was always a longshot to make the 53-man roster, and according to Mike Garafolo, Steveson fell victim to the final round of cuts the Bills made ahead of the deadline on Tuesday when he was waived by the team.
As the insider notes, he could still end up on the practice squad or pursue an opportunity with another team, and when you consider he lasted for as long as he did into the preseason process and is still too young to rent a car on his own, the book may not be closed on this particular chapter.