Harrison Phillips hits the mat with Gable Steveson at Gopher wrestling practice

Harrison Phillips #97 of the Minnesota Vikings on field between plays in the first quarter of the game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  ((Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images))

The University of Minnesota wrestling team had a former standout wrestler who’s now in the NFL come to a recent practice.

Vikings’ defensive tackle Harrison Phillips was on campus and spent some time on the mat with current Gophers’ star Gable Steveson. The two got some technique work in, and cameras caught Steveson pinning Phillips during one session.

Phillips the wrestler

Why it matters: Phillips was a multi-time state champion wrestler at Millard West High School in Omaha, Neb. He eventually went to Stanford for football, but in high school he had 175 tackles, 35 sacks and 75 tackles for loss. In high school, it’s common for offensive and defensive linemen to wrestle in the winter to keep up with the strength and technique that football requires.

Phillips was drafted by the Buffalo Bills out of college before signing with the Vikings in free agency. In three seasons in Minnesota, Phillips has 207 tackles, 6.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Steveson’s return

What we know: The Apple Valley native returned to the Gophers for his final season of eligibility. He’s a three-time Big Ten champion, two -time NCAA champion and won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021. In eight matches this season, Steveson has six tech falls and a pin.

He’s currently on a 60-match win streak.

Minnesota VikingsSportsMinnesota Gophers Sports