Players Signed/Re-Signed
- Stuttgart Surge – OL – Darnell Minton
- Barcelona Dragons – WR – Mario Flores
- Vienna Vikings – DL – Blake Nelson
- Cologne Centurions – DB – Kalon Beverly
- Cologne Centurions – OL – Savvas Michailidis
- Düsseldorf Rhein Fire – QB – Matt Adam
- Leipzig Kings – LB – Sasan Jelvani
- Leipzig Kings – WR/DB – Shida Wang
- Wroclaw Panthers – WR – Malik Stanley
- Swarco Raiders Tirol – WR – Yannick Mayr
- Berlin Thunder – RB – Giacomo DePauli
- Berlin Thunder – LB – Simon Leinauer
- Berlin Thunder – WR – Emil Drossard
- Hamburg Sea Devils – DB – Maximilian Wessel
- Frankfurt Galaxy – WR – Cheikhou Sow
The Wroclaw Panthers have signed former Louisianna Tech Bulldogs wide receiver Malik Stanley for the 2022 season.
Stanley started playing college football at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas and later transferred to the University of South Alabama, where he spent 2 seasons. In 2019, he transferred to Louisianna Tech for his last year of eligibility and hauled in 40 receptions for 649 yards and 3 touchdowns. In 2021, Stanley played for the Tuscon Sugar Skulls of the Indoor Football League.
The Düsseldorf Rhein Fire have signed former Indiana State quarterback Matt Adam for the 2022 season.
Adam played 2 seasons at Indiana State, totaling 2299 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, also rushing for another 494 yards and 6 touchdowns.
In 2020, Adam signed with the German Football League’s (GFL) Berlin Rebels, but their season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, he signed with the GFL’s Hamburg Huskies and ended the season with 1,769 passing yards and 14 total touchdowns in 9 games.
The Leipzig Kings have signed Chinese defensive back/wide receiver Shida Wang for the 2022 season.
Wang began playing American football in China but decided to take his talents overseas shortly after discovering his love of the game. He attended Arcadia University in Canada and played 3 seasons with the team. After his time at Arcadia, he’d return to China and joined the Chinese Arena Football League (CAFL) as a wide receiver and defensive back. He’d go on to help co-found the Wuhan Berserkers, which is currently the CAFL’s best team.
Wang was supposed to join Leipzig’s roster for the European League of Football’s inaugural season in 2021, but issues with his visa made it not possible.
Leipzig King’s head coach Fred Armstrong commented on the addition of Wang, stating,
“Shida [Wang] is a tremendous athlete as he’ll play opposite [Roedion] Henrique at the corner [position] on defense and will make some explosive plays for us on offense from the wide receiver position. He’ll also be a special teams nightmare for opposing teams, and the biggest intangible is his competitiveness”.
Barcelona Dragons Hire Former NFL Coach Andrew Weidinger As Head Coach
The Barcelona Dragons have hired former NFL coach Andrew Weidinger as their head coach for the 2022 season.
Weidinger served as a personnel scout for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 before assuming the role of assistant to the head coach the following year. He’d remain an assistant with the Falcons through the 2014 season. In 2015, Weidinger joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff as an offensive quality control coach. From 2016 through the 2018 seasons, he’d hold the titles of assistant wide receivers coach/game management for the Buccs.
In 2021, Andrew Weidinger served as offensive coordinator for the German Football League’s Potsdam Royals. The Royals ended the 2021 season with a 7-3 record, beating the Munich Cowboys in the playoff quarterfinals before getting knocked out by the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in the semi-finals.
Weidinger shared his excitement on receiving his first head coaching opportunity, stating,
“I am tremendously proud that this opportunity has come to me. This is a ‘top’ organization from top to bottom and I can’t wait to start.”
Follow the ELF
ELF Official Reporter – Christopher Hahn
