German TE Werner Hippler will play his 100th game For the first time in the leagues history, a player will reach the 100 games mark. TE Werner Hippler started his career in 1995 with the Galaxy where he played till 2002. Since 2003 he is with the Centurions Kln and was out of the league in '96 and '01. He played college ball at Sacramento College and was in camp with the Chargers two times. A lot of fans here, expected him to be the first German football player to play in the NFL, but unfortunatly he never made a roster [img:500:750:1a31d9b73b]http://www.centurions.de/global/dbimages/big/07_03_21_22_05_56_cp-d1-nfle-col-hippler07-01p.jpg[/img:1a31d9b73b] Werner Hippler
From NFLEurope.com NFL Europa Players of Week 2 [hr:3d769c40bc] Sherrell wins offensive prize Detroit Lions-allocated running back Anthony Sherrell has been named NFL Europa League Offensive Player of Week 2 after helping the Frankfurt Galaxy to an 18-13 defeat of the Cologne Centurions. Sherrell racked up 102 yards of total offense as he rushed for 57 yards on 14 carries and led all Galaxy receivers with six receptions for 45 yards. Through the opening two weeks of NFL Europa action, Sherrell is the league leader with a total of 229 yards from scrimmage. He ranks second in the league with 167 rushing yards on 31 carries and has added 8 receptions for 62 yards. San Diego Chargers-allocated cornerback Gabe Franklin was named Defensive Player of the Week after an outstanding effort during the Cologne Centurions loss to the Galaxy. Franklin recorded nine tackles, one sack for 11 yards, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. When the Galaxy attacked him through the air, he responded with four pass defenses and a club record-tying two interceptions for 19 yards. Hopefully, Ill have many more games like that, Franklin said. A lot of it was down to good play calling and me being in the right spot at the right time. Theyre a high-powered offense but we pretty much shut them down. British kicker Rhys Lloyd, who starred at the University of Minnesota, was named Special Teams Player of the Week after he successfully converted a league record-tying 56-yard field goal. The kick worth four points under NFL Europa rules tied the mark set by Danny Kight, of the Rhein Fire, during a game against the Barcelona Dragons on May 6, 2000. Lloyd added two conversions to end the game with six points. Lloyd, who leads NFL Europa in scoring with 18 points, said: The 56-yard attempt is routine. Whether I kick a 30-yarder or one from 60, its the same. I had a great snap, a great hold and a great kick. It took 11 guys. Galaxy head coach Mike Jones added: I feel we have a great kicker. Rhys has a strong leg and you can see that on his kickoffs. Being able to make a four-point field goal is a huge bonus for our offense. German defensive end Ben Ishola, who played three seasons of college football at Indiana, was named National Player of the Week after he recorded four tackles, one sack for 10 yards, one quarterback hurry and two special teams stops during the Hamburg Sea Devils 16-7 victory over the Berlin Thunder. NFL Europa Players of Week 2 OFFENSE | RB | ANTHONY SHERRELL | FRANKFURT GALAXY DEFENSE | CB | GABE FRANKLIN | COLOGNE CENTURIONS SPECIAL TEAMS | K | RHYS LLOYD | FRANKFURT GALAXY NATIONAL | DE | BEN ISHOLA | HAMBURG SEA DEVILS
Meat Loaf will play at the WB Halftime Show The NFLE annouces today, that rock legend Meat Loaf will be the music act at the World Bowl XV. The rockin' football fan said that he's loooking forward for this act and the game.[hr:50a0e09843] Cool, this guy will rock da crowd :acool:
NFL Europa Players of Week 3 OFFENSE: WR JUSTIN JENKINS, HAMBURG SEA DEVILS DEFENSE: S CHRIS REIS, COLOGNE CENTURIONS SPECIAL TEAMS: KR RICH PARSON, HAMBURG SEA DEVILS NATIONAL: LB AKWASI MENSAH, AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS [hr:a89edd9f64] From NFLEurope.com New Orleans Saints-allocated safety Chris Reis has been named NFL Europa Defensive Player of Week 3 following his game-winning heroics for the Cologne Centurions last weekend. Reis scored on a crucial 21-yard interception return with 11:42 remaining to give Cologne an unassailable 14-6 lead over the Rhein Fire. In addition to picking off former NFL starter Cody Pickett, Reis also added 1 tackle and knocked down another pbutt. I was just hoping to catch the ball, admitted Reis. I read the quarterback and got a good break on the ball. I just ran for daylight and I wasnt looking anywhere but the end zone. Reis is a key starter on Colognes league-leading defense and has recorded eight tackles, one interception and three pass defenses through three games. He has also added one special teams tackle. Hamburg Sea Devils wide receiver Justin Jenkins was named Offensive Player of Week 3 after he caught seven passes for 136 yards and one touchdown in a 20-17 loss to the Frankfurt Galaxy. He had a longest gain of 45 yards and scored on an 18-yard reception to pull the Sea Devils to within three points with 3:12 remaining. Jenkins ranks third in NFL Europa in receiving yards, having caught 11 passes for 187 yards on the season. Another Sea Devils wide receiver, Rich Parson (Oakland Raiders), was named Special Teams Player of the Week. He returned four kickoffs for 120 yards with a longest gain of 55 yards against Frankfurt. He also added three punt returns for eight yards. Parson ranks second in NFL Europa with six kickoff returns for 184 yards (30.7 average). Dutch linebacker Akwasi Mensah, the youngest player in NFL Europa at the age of 20, was named National Player of the Week after he came off the bench to replace injured linebacker Derrick Ballard and led the Admirals with nine tackles. The native of Amsterdam, who is in his second NFL Europa campaign with the Admirals, added one special teams stop to give him three for the season.
Roster Changes 3 Thunder player were moved to other teams. Defensive Back Sims and Running Back Edwards to Frankfurt Galaxy, Wide Receiver Hare to Kln. Added to the Thunder roster were Running Back Cal Murray (Centurions Kln), Tight End Rob Abiamiri (Amsterdam Admirals) und Wide Receiver Kyle Smith (Hamburg Sea Devils). Frankfurts RB Sherell had a fracture in his lower leg and is out for the season, while TE Aaron Hosack suffered a torn muscule in his leg.
Question for any of you: I can't read German and the NFLE website isn't really giving a whole lot of information on this; QB Quinton Porter for Cologne is listed as the starter on the depth chart and is connecting on a higher percentage of passes, creating bigger plays, and throwing touchdowns but sees a lot of time on the bench in lieu of Erik Meyer. Why the heck is Duggan keeping Meyer out there for more of the game when he seems to find the bad guys more often than not, all the while can't find the freaking endzone unless he's running the ball??? (One rushing TD, no Passing TD's) Mind you Porter is a home town boy so I'm a bit slighted to seeing him on the field more but understanding, and having played the game I don't get it. I always thought the rule was to keep the best players on the field as much as you could..
Not as long the NFLE is a development league. Owners pay to see their players play. Every team play a rotation on all positions, even on the QB spot. I can't say how the Centurions QBs share the time but at Frankfurt O'Sullivan is on the field for 3 quarters (1-3-4) and Eakin is on the field for the 2nd.
Okay, I was a week to early with the 100th game for Werner Hippler post. He sat out week 2.....never mind Big game hunting German tight end Werner Hippler will make NFL Europa history when he plays in his 100th regular season game as the Cologne Centurions take on the Berlin Thunder on Saturday evening. While that game will be special for Hippler, every contest this weekend is of great significance as teams jockey for position in the race to reach Yello Strom World Bowl XV in Frankfurt on Saturday June 23. The Frankfurt Galaxy is out in front with a 3-0 record but there is little between the five remaining teams, who are separated by just one game. But before we get to the nitty gritty of this weekends games, first, plaudits have to be sent in Hipplers direction. In his 11th and possibly final season, and with three World Bowl rings already in his pocket, the veteran is hoping to mark his century of regular season games with a win. Its a great honor, Hippler said. Its been hard work and Ive been blessed to stay healthy the whole time. Even if this is my last year, Ive had a very fulfilling career. Story goes on here
Frankfurt on a roll From NFL.com by Mike Carlson[hr:f3d115a00a] Can anyone stop the Frankfurt Galaxy? We'll have to wait until Sunday to find out, because this weekend just happens to be the only one where Amsterdam doesn't have a Friday night home game, but certainly you'd have to think that the Admirals at home have a pretty good shot against the league's only unbeaten team. Of course, they're going to be trying to become the first team in NFL Europa, other than Frankfurt, to actually win a home game, but the Admirals can always hope that Cologne will have pulled off the feat Saturday night when the Centurions entertain Berlin and, as noted in Europass earlier this week, mark tight end Werner Hippler's 100th game in NFL Europa. Berlin will hope that its big-play capability can shock Cologne. Quarterback Travis Lulay threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Rich Musinki last week and scrambled for a 61-yard TD in the Thunder's Week 1 win over Rhein. And in Carlton Brewster, Lulay has the league's leading receiver. But Berlin coach John Allen will like his chances better if he can establish a steady running game behind Chris Barclay, and if Lulay can be more consistent hitting receivers underneath. Cologne, meanwhile, will be looking to return running back Derrick Ross to the 100-yard level he enjoyed in Week 1. He managed only 43 yards in last week's loss to Frankfurt, and with neither Quentin Porter nor Erik Meyer so far able to deliver consistent passing, the Centurions need to control the game on the ground. If anyone can count on the big play, it has to be the Admirals, and they'll also be aware that Frankfurt has won only three times in Amsterdam since 1995 (not counting the Galaxy's World Bowl win there in 1995!). Admirals quarterback Drew Olson is starting to connect with Skyler Fulton, who's looking as dangerous as he was last year, and another veteran, receiver/kick returner Noriabi Kinocrapa, is also a threat to score from anywhere. The Admirals have been unable to get either Jonathan Smith or Larry Croom on track as runners, and Olson has to avoid costly turnovers. The Galaxy has been balanced offensively with veteran quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan leading the team to 68 points, which is the league's best total. But Frankurt has lost leading rusher Anthony Sherrell to injury, which means Charles Anthony and Sha-ron Edwards are going to have to pick up the slack. Coach Mike Jones cut Anthony, who gained 93 yards on 22 carries last week, in training camp, while Edwards was a 'league-active' player for Berlin, part of NFL Europa's playing practice squad. Story goes on here [hr:f3d115a00a] The Galaxy dominated the sencond half of the season opener vs Amsterdam. The wins vs Kln and Hamburg was both close ones. While Frankfurt had a good working team from the start, th other teams had improved and Frankfurt had lost some of their key players due injury. Now we facing two games on the road and should pull out at least one win here. Playing at Amsterdam wasn't never easy and next week vs Rhein Fire won't be easy too. Fire always step up,if they play the Galaxy.
From NFLEurope.com NFL Europa Players of Week 4 OFFENSE: WR CASEY BRAMLET, HAMBURG SEA DEVILS DEFENSE: DT GARY GIBSON, HAMBURG SEA DEVILS SPECIAL TEAMS: KR CHRIS BARCLAY, BERLIN THUNDER NATIONAL: WR SCOTT MCCREADY, HAMBURG SEA DEVILS Washington Redskins-allocated quarterback Casey Bramlet has been named Offensive Player of NFL Europa Week 4 after leading the Hamburg Sea Devils to a comprehensive 34-9 victory over the Rhein Fire. Bramlet, in his second season with the Sea Devils, completed 18 of 27 passes for 220 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Those numbers were good enough for a quarterback rating of 113.2. Sea Devils head coach Vince Martino said: Casey is a very productive quarterback and he had a very productive day. He managed the offense perfectly and really helped us keep our rhythm for the whole game. Bramlet has completed a league-high 64.4 per cent of his passes this season for 734 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He is ranked second in NFL Europa with a rating of 95.7. Hamburg defensive tackle Gary Gibson scooped the Defensive Player of the Week prize after he helped restrict the Rhein Fire to just one offensive touchdown. Gibson registered three sacks for 24 yards among his four tackles and added two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. Cleveland Browns-allocated running back Chris Barclay has been named Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts during the Berlin Thunders 31-28 victory over the Cologne Centurions. Barclay returned five kickoffs for 180 yards and scored on a 99-yard return to spark the Thunders 21-point comeback. He also started in Berlins offensive backfield, rushing for 38 yards on 15 carries. Thunder head coach John Allen said: That return made a big difference it was like we woke up. Chris Barclay provided a huge spark for our football team. Barclay leads NFL Europa with 628 combined yards (184 rushing, 40 receiving, 404 kickoff returns). Sea Devils English wide receiver Scott McCready has been unveiled as National Player of Week 4 after he caught eight passes for 99 yards and one touchdown against the Fire. In reeling in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Bramlet, McCready registered the 200th reception of his NFLE career. The six-year veteran is only the second man in NFL Europa League history to record 200 career receptions and needs an additional 53 to surpass former Frankfurt Galaxy wide receiver Mario Bailey as the all-time league leader (252). McCready ranks second among NFL Europa receivers with 18 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
Rashaun Woods to Frankfurt After the shoulder injury of Galaxy WR Robert Ortiz, the former 1st round pick Rashaun Woods, was send from the Sea Devils to the Galaxy.
From NFLEurope.com Fierce rivals to clash[hr:071b271f34] The most storied rivalry in NFL Europa League history resumes this weekend as the Rhein Fire plays host to the Frankfurt Galaxy at Dsseldorfs LTU arena on Saturday. And the stakes are high for both clubs as they enter the meeting at opposite ends of the NFL Europa table after four weeks of play. With four teams breathing down their necks with 2-2 records, the 3-1 Galaxy will be keen to stay ahead of the chasing pack with a win at Rhein. Meanwhile, the Fire players and coaches know they must win against their old rivals in order to avoid dropping to 1-4 at the seasons halfway mark. Fire head coach Rick Lantz says: We didnt play well against Hamburg but well fight and rise up to play Frankfurt next week. The Fire and Galaxy have played in some of the most memorable games in NFL Europa history. Rhein defeated Frankfurt in World Bowl 98 but the Galaxy gained championship game revenge by beating the Fire in World Bowl XI in 2003. And in 2002, the teams played in front of the largest regular season crowd in NFL Europa history as 58,572 fans packed into Frankfurts Waldstadion to see the Fire record a 3-0 victory that booked their berth in World Bowl X. Describing the rivalry between the two teams, Galaxy German defensive tackle Daniel Benetka says: This is an intense rivalry. Every game in NFL Europa counts so I play hard in all of them. But I am just a little more fired up when facing the Rhein Fire because I know the fans and players dont like us. Galaxy head coach Mike Jones adds: We will be talking to our players about what a victory against the Fire means to our fans. [hr:071b271f34]I love the Fire games, they are always something special. I'm looking forward the rematch here at Frankfurt.
Fires latest roster moves RB Gerald Riggs was released. According to HC Rick Lantz, it was about time for him to go. Lantz and Riggs didn't get along very well since the begin of the camp. LB Craig Bailey was added to the roster to replace the injured Aaron Harris. Bailey was in camp with the Frankfurt Galaxy.
The Galaxy will feature another new player in Week 6, after Kenny King (Baltimore Ravens) became the sixth former Frankfurt starter to move to injured reserve. He joins DeCori Birmingham (New York Giants), Jimmy Cottrell (Baltimore Ravens), Anthony Sherrell (Detroit Lions), Robert Ortiz and Ron Rockett, in addition to Doug Nienhuis (Denver Broncos), who has been on IR since the preseason. Maurice White went through training camp with the Amsterdam Admirals and faced Frankfurt in a preseason scrimmage. Now he will line up for the Galaxy, backing up John Syptak (San Francisco 49ers) on the defensive line. White attended the University of Minnesota with fellow Men in Purple Rhys Lloyd and Dominique Sims.
From NFLEurope.com NFL Europa Players of Week 5 OFFENSE: WR P.K. SAM, RHEIN FIRE DEFENSE: LB BYRON HARDMON,HAMBURG SEA DEVILS SPECIAL TEAMS: P DANNY BAUGHER, RHEIN FIRE NATIONAL: LB PHILIPPE GARDENT, COLOGNE CENTURIONS Miami Dolphins-allocated wide receiver P.K. Sam has been named NFL Europa Offensive Player of Week 5 following his efforts in leading the Rhein Fire to a key victory over the league-leading Frankfurt Galaxy last weekend. Sam led the Fire attack by catching six passes for 122 yards with a long of 46 yards. He scored on an eight-yard reception from former NFL starting quarterback Cody Pickett. At the halfway stage of the 2007 season, Sam has 15 receptions for 274 yards and one touchdown. His average of 18.3 yards per catch is the highest among the leagues top 10 receivers. Hamburg Sea Devils linebacker Byron Hardmon has been named Defensive Player of the Week after his game-winning display against the Amsterdam Admirals. Hardmon opened the scoring on a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown. He then went on to add four tackles, one sack for six yards, one quarterback hurry and two pass defenses. Through five weeks of play, the former Florida defender has recorded 17 tackles, one sack, one interception and three pass defenses. New England Patriots-allocated punter Danny Baugher is Special Teams Player of Week 5 after his outstanding display during the Rhein Fires defeat of the Frankfurt Galaxy. Baugher averaged 45.2 yards on five punts with a long of 51 yards. He also dropped two kicks inside Frankfurts 20-yard line. He currently ranks second among NFLE punters this season with an average of 42.5 yards on 23 kicks with a long of 59 yards and nine kicks inside the opponents 20-yard line. French linebacker and reigning NFL Europa Defensive MVP Philippe Gardent has been named National Player of Week 5 after he recorded a team-leading 10 tackles during the Cologne Centurions 24-10 victory over the Berlin Thunder. Gardent also added one special teams stop. The fifth-year linebacker, who spent the 2006 NFL season on the practice squad of the Washington Redskins, leads all defenders in NFL Europa with 38 tackles and he has also added one sack, two pass defenses and three special teams tackles.
From NFLEurope.com NFL Europa Players of Week 6 OFFENSE: RB JONATHAN SMITH, AMSTERDAM ADMIRALS DEFENSE: LB DEREK REHAGE, RHEIN FIRE SPECIAL TEAMS: PR BRANDON MIDDLETON, FRANKFURT GALAXY NATIONAL: LB PHILIPPE GARDENT, COLOGNE CENTURIONS Amsterdam Admirals running back Jonathan Smith has been named NFL Europa Offensive Player of Week 6 following his record-setting efforts against the Hamburg Sea Devils at the weekend. Smith scored a league record-tying four touchdowns -- three rushing and one receiving -- during Amsterdam's 41-31 victory, matching the achievements of Mike Green (Barcelona 2001), Rafael Cooper (Amsterdam 2002), Kenneth Simonton (Scotland 2003) and Chad Lucas (Amsterdam 2006). The second-year back, who won a World Bowl ring with the Admirals in 2005, rushed for 112 yards on 17 carries, scoring on runs covering 34, 3 and 31 yards. He added three receptions for 12 yards, and found the end zone on an 8-yard reception. Smith ranks second among NFLE rushers with 352 yards on 77 carries. Pittsburgh Steelers-allocated linebacker Derek Rehage has been unveiled as Defensive Player of the Week following his stellar display during the Rhein Fire's 20-17 loss at the hands of the Cologne Centurions. Rehage led the Fire defense with 12 tackles and added one sack for 9 yards, one quarterback hurry and one pass defense. He ranks third on Rhein's defense this season with 27 tackles, one sack and one pass defense to his name. Frankfurt Galaxy wide receiver Brandon Middleton has been named Special Teams Player of the Week due to his contributions as a returner during his team's 35-7 demolition of the Berlin Thunder. Middleton returned four punts for 88 yards and opened the scoring for Frankfurt on a 71-yard punt return touchdown. Middleton leads the Galaxy with 27 receptions for 318 yards and is NFL Europa's top-ranked punt returner, gaining 12.5 yards per runback (15 for 188 yards and one touchdown). For the second successive week, Cologne Centurions linebacker Philippe Gardent (France) has been named National Player of the Week. Gardent, who spent the entire 2006 NFL season on the Washington Redskins practice squad, led Cologne with 11 tackles and one pass defense during a come-from-behind victory against Rhein. The reigning NFL Europa Defensive Most Valuable Player leads all defenders in the league with 49 tackles through six games and has added one sack, three pass defenses and three special-teams stops.
Injuries and roster moves Sea Devils National WR Scott McGready hurt his shoulder during last weekends loss to Amsterdam. He had to underwent surgery and is out for the season. RB J.D. Washington will be added to the Rhein Fire roster, to replace RB Taurean Henderson broke fibula and tibia. On a side note, Frankfurts FB J.R. Niklos will miss the game against Rhein Fire. He is back in the USA, to get married. Congrats
From NFLE to Olympics 2010? Bob slide World Champion Christoph Langen is scouting the German national players to team up with one or more of them for the Olympic games at Vancouver/Canada in 2010. "I'm exited about their power, strenght, speed and the will to win" Langen said. He is currently sighting video tapes and visit games to get an impression of the candidates.
