 | |
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2007 |
| Based in | Berlin, Germany |
| Home field | Olympic Stadium |
| League | NFL Europe |
| Colors | Black, Green, Tan, Orange, White [1] |
| World Bowls (3) |
|
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe.
| | |
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2007 |
| Based in | Berlin, Germany |
| Home field | Olympic Stadium |
| League | NFL Europe |
| Colors | Black, Green, Tan, Orange, White [1] |
| World Bowls (3) |
|
The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe.
The Thunder came into existence as an expansion team, after the London/England Monarchs franchise shut down operations, prior to the 1999 season. Home games from 1999 to 2002 were played at Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark and one game in 2006. Olympiastadion was the home stadium from 2003 to 2007. They were the second team in league history to use the Thunder name, following the Orlando Thunder from 1991 to 1992.
The Thunder won the World Bowl 3 times: 2001, 2002 and 2004 (a year that they went 9–1). They also made it to the World Bowl in 2005 but were defeated by the Amsterdam Admirals 21–27.
Two Berlin quarterbacks, Rohan Davey (2004) and Dave Ragone (2005), were named NFL Europe Offensive Most Valuable Players. Linebacker Rich Scanlon (2005) was named NFL Europe Defensive MVP. In 2006, the Thunder had three players earn All-NFL Europe honors: guard Chad Beasley and safety Anthony Floyd earned all-league honors at their respective positions and German defensive end Christian Mohr was honored as the national player on the defensive all-league team.
On 1 April 2006, the Thunder recorded their first tie in franchise history. Trailing the Hamburg Sea Devils 17–0 at halftime, the Thunder erased their deficit to tie it up, going into overtime in which neither team could come up with a point. This was only the second tie in the history of NFL Europe. The previous tie came in the 1992 season between the Birmingham Fire and the London Monarchs, also 17-17.
An unrelated team of the same name is to play in the inaugural 2021 season of the new European League of Football
| Season | League | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| 1999 | NFLE | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 6th (League) | – | – | — | — |
| 2000 | NFLE | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 6th (League) | – | – | — | — |
| 2001 | NFLE | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 2nd (League) | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | World Bowl IX champions |
| 2002 | NFLE | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 2nd (League) | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | World Bowl X champions |
| 2003 | NFLE | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 6th (League) | – | – | — | — |
| 2004 | NFLE | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 1st (League) | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | World Bowl XII champions |
| 2005 | NFLE | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 1st (League) | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Amsterdam Admirals in World Bowl XIII |
| 2006 | NFLE | 2 | 7 | 1 | .250 | 6th (League) | – | – | — | — |
| 2007 | NFLE | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 6th (League) | – | – | — | — |
| Total | 42 | 47 | 1 | .472 | 3 | 1 | .750 | |||
| # | Name | Term | Regular season | Postseason | Achievements | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | GC | Won | Lost | Win % | ||||
| 1 | Wes Chandler | 1999 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | – | – | – | — | — |
| 2 | Peter Vaas | 2000–2003 | 40 | 19 | 21 | 0 | .475 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2 World Bowl championships (IX, X) NFL Europe Coach of the Year (2002) |
| 3 | Rick Lantz | 2004–2006 | 30 | 18 | 11 | 1 | .617 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | World Bowl XII championship NFL Europe Coach of the Year (2004) |
| 4 | John Allen | 2007 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | – | – | – | — | — |
Richard Adjei – LB (2007)
David Akers – K (1999) Chris Barclay – RB (2007) Lang Campbell – QB (2005) Travis Lulay – QB (2007)
Rohan Davey – QB (2004) Anthony Floyd – S (2005) Chas Gessner – S (2004) Ben Hamilton – C (2002) Tim Hasselbeck – QB (2002) Madre Hill – RB (2001)
Israel Idonije – DE (2004) Dave Ragone – QB (2005) Brian Simnjanovski – P/K (2005) Brian Waters – C/OG (2000) Phil Stambaugh – QB (2003) Ahmad Hawkins – CB (2002) Tony Pape – G (2005)
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 Scottish Claymores were an American football team based in Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow. In ten seasons of NFL Europe play, the Claymores reached the World Bowl on two occasions, with victory in World Bowl '96 but defeat in World Bowl 2000. Their name derives from that of the Claymore, a double-edged sword historically used in Scottish clan warfare. One notable player was Gavin Hastings, a Scottish rugby international who was used as a place kicker in 1996.
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, playing in the NFL Europe.
Kerry Michael Collins is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Collins was a member of six NFL teams, most notably the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, and Tennessee Titans. He played college football at Pennsylvania State University, where he won the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award, and Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior.
The Hamburg Sea Devils were an American football team that played in NFL Europe from 2005 to 2007. They played their home games at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion. They played their first game on 2 April 2005 losing 24–23 to the Cologne Centurions. The Sea Devils' first win came in Week 3 of the 2005 season, with a 31–24 home victory over the then-struggling Rhein Fire.
Rohan St. Patrick Davey is a Jamaican-born former American football quarterback. He won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, as the backup to Tom Brady in 2003 and 2004.
Omar T. Jacobs is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Bowling Green and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Jacobs was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Florence Phantoms, San Jose Wolves, Jacksonville Sharks, Wichita Falls Nighthawks and Rio Grande Valley Sol.
"The Greatest Show on Turf" was a nickname for the high flying offense of the St. Louis Rams during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 National Football League (NFL) seasons. The offense was designed by attack-oriented offensive coordinator and head coach Mike Martz who mixed an aerial attack and a run offense in an Air Coryell-style offense. The Rams' offense during these three seasons produced record scoring and yardage, three NFL MVP honors, and two Super Bowl appearances and one championship. In 2000, the team set an NFL record with 7,335 total offensive yards. Of those, 5,492 were passing yards, also an NFL team record.
David Patrick Ragone is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bears, Washington Redskins and Tennessee Titans.
Michael Milton Lewis is an American former professional football player who was a strong safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes, and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Lewis also played for the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams. He was a Pro Bowl selection with the Eagles in 2004.
World Bowl XII was NFL Europe's 2004 championship game. The game was played at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on June 12, 2004. In this game, the defending champion Frankfurt Galaxy returned to try to protect their title after going through a 7–3 regular season. Their opponent was the Berlin Thunder, as they entered the contest after a franchise-best 9–1 regular season. 35,413 fans were in attendance to watch this championship bout. The Thunder's regular season record pretty much explained their performance, as they stripped the Galaxy of their championship belt in a close match-up. The final score was 30–24, in favor of Berlin. Thunder RB Eric McCoo won MVP honors by running 28 times for 167 yards and a touchdown, with his longest run being 69 yards.
World Bowl XIII, officially known as Yello Strom World Bowl XIII, was NFL Europe's 2005 championship game. It was played at the LTU arena in Düsseldorf, Germany on June 11, 2005. In this match-up, the 6–4 Amsterdam Admirals got back to the World Bowl after losing in World Bowl III and spending nearly a decade being on the outside. Now, they had a chance to dig deep and win big. Their opponent for the match-up was the Berlin Thunder, who were coming off their best year and made it back to the World Bowl with a 7–3 record, hoping to defend their title. 35,134 fans were in attendance for the fight. After many years of suffering, the Admirals won their first World Bowl title by stripping the defending champion Thunder of their title, by a final score of 27–21. Taking home MVP honors was Admirals QB Kurt Kittner, who went 15 of 28 for 239 yards with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.
David Timothy Tollefson is a former American football defensive end and outside linebacker. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round, with the 253rd pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwest Missouri State. Tollefson won two Super Bowls as a member of the New York Giants, defeating the New England Patriots in both Super Bowls.
The 2006 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Warriors tied the school record for most victories in a season with 11, with their only losses coming against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, an undefeated Boise State team that went on to participate in the Bowl Championship Series and Oregon State, which won ten games and finished the season nationally ranked. The Warriors finished in second place in the Western Athletic Conference behind Boise State and returned to the Hawaii Bowl after missing out on postseason play in 2005 due to a losing record. The Warriors defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils in the bowl game by a score of 41–24 to round out one of the school's most successful football seasons ever.
Carlos Joseph was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Steve Logan is an American football coach who was recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). Logan was also the head football coach at East Carolina University from 1992 to 2002, compiling a record of 69–58.
The Mount Union Purple Raiders football program represents the University of Mount Union in college football at the NCAA Division III level as members of the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Mount Union have played their home games at Mount Union Stadium in Alliance, Ohio since 1913, which makes it the oldest college football stadium in Ohio. The Purple Raiders have claimed 13 NCAA Division III Football Championship and 33 OAC titles and have 12 undefeated seasons.
Peter Vaas is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Allegheny College from 1986 to 1989 and at the College of the Holy Cross from 1992 to 1995, compiling a career college football record of 43–41–1. He played football as a quarterback at Holy Cross from 1971 to 1973.
The Austrian Football League (AFL) is the highest level of American football in Austria founded in 1982. The Austrian Football League (AFL) has always been considered among the best and strongest leagues in Europe. The league plays by rules based on those of the NCAA.
This page lists the awards won by players of the Baltimore Ravens, a professional American football team who compete in the National Football League. The Ravens' most recent award winners were Lamar Jackson John Harbaugh and Greg Roman, who won the MVP, Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year awards respectively at the 9th Annual NFL Honors.