There were a vast number of football players who saw their first NFL game action during Week 1 of the preseason.
There aren't many in any preseason, however, who are playing in their first football game ever.
Such was the case with Gable Steveson, the Buffalo Bills defensive lineman who's also one of the greatest United States wrestlers in history.
"Man, my first football gave ever," Steveson said Saturday after the Bills' loss to the Chicago Bears. "Definitely a great time, definitely cool to see all the Buffalo Bills fans come out. Not the way we wanted it to end, but it's preseason, we're here to grow and we're here to get better."
Steveson saw 14 snaps worth of work -- nine at defensive tackle and five on special teams -- with a tackle and a QB pressure.
A 2020 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, Steveson was a two-time NCAA heavyweight champion who posted an 83-2 record with the Minnesota Golden Gophers and twice won the Hodge Trophy (NCAA's best wrestler). Prior to that, Steveson won four state championships at Apple Valley High (Minnesota) and tallied a 210-3 record.
During all that time, Steveson never hit the gridiron.
Thus, as the Bills are hoping to hit pay dirt and find the next Stephen Neal or Carlton Haselrig -- both standout wrestlers who became outstanding NFL players -- the chances remain long. It bears reminding that Neal, a Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, and Haselrig, a Pro Bowler with the Pittsburgh Steelers, had each played ball before hitting the NFL ranks.
Steveson previously weighed careers in mixed martial arts or pro wrestling, choosing the latter. However, he didn't pan out in the WWE and was released from his contract after just one televised match. Not long after, he signed a one-year deal with the Bills worth $795,000.
On Saturday, the 24-year-old finally played his first football game -- not at the Pop Warner or high school level, but in front of Bills Mafia.
"Exceeded it a lot," Steveson said of his expectations for his first game experience. "Just the bright lights, the fans, the loud atmosphere. Just people getting after it, that's what we want to see."
Of the myriad firsts for Steveson, Saturday stood as the first time he went against competition other than his Bills teammates, as well.
"You definitely want to see how everyone's going to play," he said. "Everyone has different play styles. Definitely, not seeing our own practice partners out there and seeing a new group of line that's out there, is definitely something that's going to help us along the way, especially me being so new to football."
New with football jargon, too, Steveson cited his "technique, gap integrity and fundamentals" as his strengths so far, but realizes full well he's a work in progress with much work and plenty of learning ahead.
"I knew it was all going to be new," he said. "You gotta do what you gotta do, man. I'm blessed to be in the spot that I am, and I had a great time."
It's still in the neighborhood of unlikely that Steveson will earn a spot on the Bills' 53-man roster, but the gold medal-winning grappler now has some football experience under his belt.
