“He’s still got that hardcore mindset that he’s a wrestler.” Those were the words from Gable Steveson, the Olympian and Minnesota’s NCAA wrestling champ about Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott. And Steveson might just have given the perfect description of McDermott, especially considering what went down on the sidelines before the wildcard match!

So what exactly happened? Well, moments before the Buffalo Bills were going into the anticipated wild-card match against the Denver Broncos, something interesting went down on the sidelines. As the players geared up, McDermott was not seen giving pep talks or standing with a clipboard. He was instead busting out wrestling moves!

Imagine this, the Bills and Broncos were putting on their gear before going on the field at the Highmark Stadium. McDermott’s team, the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs is entering with a 13-4 record. Meanwhile, the Broncos, the No. 7 seed were looking to defy the odds as an 8.5-point underdog. However, none predicted what was coming from Sean McDermott before the opening whistle. Who needs an over or under prediction when the coach is throwing down?

And it is no surprise that the head coach’s antics caught everybody’s attention! It was in 2017 that McDermott took over the Buffalo Bills and since then, he has created history. McDermott now has seven playoff appearances and five AFC East titles to his name. It is safe to say, he transformed the Bills. But on Sunday, the NFL world realized the reason behind this transformation. It is nothing but Sean McDermott roots, wrestling!

Buffalo Bills coach, a wrestler at heart?

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Sean McDermott is truly a wrestler at heart. Gable Steveson who trained under the Bills coach has gone so far as to say, “It’s just fascinating to see how he’s changed the football mindset to be more of a wrestling mindset.” So how exactly has McDermott managed to do that? Well, McDermott is a wrestling champion himself.

A champion who even today considers the 10’ x 10’ mat his home. He even uses wrestling principles to mold his NFL players to be champions. Additionally, when McDermott studied at La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, he won two championships at the national level. Yes, that is right. In the years 1992 and 1993, McDermott went on to win the National Prep Champion. To make it even better, his record is just as impressive as his NFL ones. Sean McDermott’s record?

61-0, with just one takedown conceded. If that wasn’t enough, McDermott recently visited Penn State’s wrestling program. No, he was not wrestling but observing Cael Sanderson’s team just before they went on to win their eighth NCAA title in a decade. Evidently, like a true wrestler, he doesn’t consider wrestling a mere sport, but a way of life!

A way of life that he has carried to the NFL locker rooms! So, as Sean McDermott stood at the cusp of one of the biggest games, his wrestling mindset also stood right next to him. And for the Buffalo Bills, the wrestling mindset that their coach is bringing might just be the best weapon yet!