NFL Europe League was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally founded in 1989 as the World League of American Football, the league was envisioned as a transatlantic league encompassing teams from both North America and Europe. Initially, the WLAF consisted of seven teams in North America and three in Europe. It began play in 1991 and lasted for two seasons before suspending operations; while the league had been "wildly popular" in Europe, it failed to achieve success in North America. After a two-year hiatus, it returned as a six-team European league, with teams based in England, Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, and Spain. NFL Europa was dissolved in 2007 due to its continued unprofitability and the NFL's decision to shift its focus towards hosting regular-season games in Europe; at the time of its closure, the league consisted of five German teams and one team based in the Netherlands.
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe.
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, playing in the NFL Europe.
The World Bowl was the annual American football championship game of the World League of American Football/NFL Europe. The World Bowl was played each year from 1991 to 2007.
Spergon Wynn III is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Southwest Texas State Bobcats and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Wynn also played for the Amsterdam Admirals, Minnesota Vikings, BC Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts.
Ulish Booker is an American former professional football offensive tackle.
Chad Dennard Lucas is an American former professional football wide receiver. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Alabama State.
Carl-Johan Björk is a former American football linebacker in NFL Europe for the Amsterdam Admirals. He also was a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals in the National Football League.
Clint Mitchell is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive end. Mitchell played college football for the University of Florida. He was a member of the Denver Broncos, Amsterdam Admirals, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Storm.
Earl Cochran, Jr is a former American football defensive end. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Alabama State.
The 2007 Amsterdam Admirals season was the 13th and final season for the franchise in the NFL Europa League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Bart Andrus in his seventh year, and played its home games at Amsterdam ArenA and Olympisch Stadion in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They finished the regular season in fifth place with a record of four wins and six losses. The National Football League (NFL) announced the closure of its European branch on June 29, ending the Admirals' 13-year existence.
Bart Andrus is an American football coach and a former collegiate player who is the head coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy of the European League of Football (ELF). He has served as head coach for the Amsterdam Admirals of the NFL Europe League (NFLEL) from 2001 to 2007, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2009, and the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League (UFL) in 2012 compiling a career record of 40 wins and 54 losses. Andrus also was the head football coach at Rocky Mountain College in 1996, posting a mark of 6–4. He also served as head coach of the Generals of The Spring League and the Philadelphia Stars.
John Allen is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2015, compiling a record of 5–37 in five seasons. Allen was also the head coach of the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe in 2007, tallying a mark of 2–8. He played college football as a wide receiver at James Madison University.
Noriaki Kinoshita, born December 29, 1982) is a Japanese football wide receiver who currently plays for the Obic Seagulls of the X-League. He was signed by the Amsterdam Admirals in 2005. He played college football for the Ritsumeikan Panthers.
The 2007 Frankfurt Galaxy season was the 15th and final season for the franchise in the NFL Europa League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Mike Jones in his fourth year, and played its home games at Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt, Germany. They finished the regular season in second place with a record of seven wins and three losses. In World Bowl XV, Frankfurt lost to the Hamburg Sea Devils 37–28. The National Football League (NFL) announced the closure of its European branch on June 29.
The 2004 Amsterdam Admirals season was the tenth season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Bart Andrus in his fourth year, and played its home games at Amsterdam ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands. They finished the regular season in third place with a record of five wins and five losses.
The 1995 World League of American Football season was the third season of the professional American football league organized by the NFL. It was the league's first season with six teams based only in Europe.
The 1997 World League of American Football season was the fifth campaign of the WLAF professional American football league, and the third under its six-team Europe-only format. World Bowl '97 was won by the Barcelona Dragons, whose quarterback was Jon Kitna, then on the roster of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL.
The 2000 NFL Europe season was the eighth season in 10 years of the American football league that started out as the World League of American Football.
The 2001 NFL Europe season was the ninth season in 11 years of the American Football league that started out as the World League of American Football.
