Gable Steveson details Gophers return, time with WWE and NFL

Steveson will make his return to this NCAA wrestling mat on Sunday.

Gable Steveson / Picture via: GopherSports (YouTube)

Gable Steveson announced his surprising return to the Gophers wrestling program last week. He was able to speak to the media on Monday and it sounds like this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

“We tried it last year, it just wasn’t the best time, especially with the training situation. I feel like I didn’t have enough to put out a good product," Steveson said. "And I feel now with the time that we had built up, we definitely had a good product to put out, and I’m excited for people to see the new, older version of me. And I mean, I might be close to one of the oldest guys in NCAA, but it’s alright.”

Steveson has been busy since last wearing a Gophers singlet. Like many amateur wrestling stars before him, Steveson attempted a career at WWE, but he was released by the promotion in May.

"The WWE just wasn't the right time. I had a lot of competitive edge in me and they knew that. It was just not the time for it, maybe one day if the stars align it would be a great opportunity to do it again," Steveson said. "I have no bad feelings with it, I have no bad blood and I would like to keep moving forward with everything that I have going on."

He even gave the NFL a shot, despite never playing football before. He joined the Buffalo Bills as a defensive lineman. He was released in August before the regular season, but he then had tryouts with the Colts, Ravens and Saints, but never truly hung up the wrestling shoes.

"I’ve been here ever since I left, so I continuously came in, and so it was just a waiting time of, when can we possibly get it done,” Steveson said. “After Buffalo happened, I did a few tryouts with the Colts, Ravens, and I was supposed to go to the New Orleans Saints also, but we sat down right after Buffalo … And he was just like, you have the year left, you have the Olympic redshirt left. If you want to use it, you can use it, so I think right then and there was kind of just like, a team hasn’t taken me yet, maybe I should go back and restart and get the itch to get back to who I was once again."

He will officially return to the mat on Sunday against Campbell at Minnesota's Maturi Pavillion, and he will face top-10 heavyweight Taye Ghadiali, who earned All-American status last season.