ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — No ifs, ands, or buts, Gable Steveson is giving his all for the opportunity to play in the NFL.
"Every day I put in my all," Steveson said. "I show up with gratitude, with honor, with anything that these guys want me to do I will do it without a question and that's just the wrestling way."
The 24-year-old Olympic gold medal wrestler never played a snap of football or even put on a pair of cleats before signing with the Bills earlier this month.
"I put on a helmet and... 'get in a stance,' I'm like, 'hey, I can't pick my head up.'"
Bills head coach Sean McDermott, with his own background in wrestling, says that despite Steveson's lack of football experience, there is some carryover between the two sports.
"I'm a big believer in wrestlers and what skills you develop in wrestling and how it can transfer into being a really good football player, especially among the offensive line, defensive line position groups," McDermott said. "Having not played ever, not even in high school, that's a bit different. That's a bit unique and so there's a little bit more work to be done."
"In my eyes, it's mandatory," Steveson said. "It's a goal. It's not about just joining a football team, it's about making it through it and being a product that people can look at and be like 'Hey, this guy has never played football in his life and he made it.'"
"Kids are gonna look at that and be like, 'wow, I can be something with myself,' because when I was younger, we had none of these opportunities and for me to finally push that narrative of you can come from one sport to another, that's an incredible thing. I hope people realize this and can see that they can do whatever they want with their lives."
Steveson will now get the chance to push that narrative as a defensive tackle with the Buffalo Bills.
"The Bills were the team," Steveson said. "The Bills were the team since day one. They wanted to give me a chance especially with coach McDermott being a wrestling guy, but I don't think thats the main reason why I'm here. The main reason why I'm here, I showed up to that trial and I gave it my all and I wanted an opportunity to show you guys that I could be something and that's what this is about."
The Bills continue this week with mandatory minicamp on Wednesday and Thursday.