The Hamburg Sea Devils have signed defensive end and outside linebacker Jan-Phillip Bombek for the upcoming season. This marks the return of one of the premiere season's success bringers to the Elbe. The 26-year-old Hamburg native totaled 51 tackles, 16.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 19 games over the past two seasons in the European League of Football. Last year, he appeared in all the season's games for the Leipzig Kings.

"I was drawn back home. I would like to finish my last football years in my hometown. Playing for the Hamburg Sea Devils at Volksparkstadion was something I always dreamed of as a kid," Jan-Phillip Bombek said of his home coming.

Born in Austria, Bombek grew up in Hamburg, taking his first football steps for the Hamburg Swans and Hamburg Huskies before the talented athlete was drawn to the U.S. to play for the Feather River Golden Eagles and Colorado State Rams. Due to COVID restrictions, the move to the NFL failed. In 2021, he played for the Hamburg Sea Devils under Ted Daisher and Andreas Nommensen and qualified for the NFL International Combine in London despite a knee injury - while not getting picked up and returning to the European League of Football and Leipzig.

Kendral Ellison is happy to have him back

Kendral Ellison, defensive coordinator, is excited about the return: “Bringing Bombek home has been a priority of mine since last season. He’s proven to be one of the most dominant defenders in the league. His relentless and ferocious attitude & play is something that we embrace. We’ve all seen how dominate he can be in this system, and we look to relive that. Adding him to the group of guys we already have has the potential to be scary, but also very beneficial as the young guys can learn a lot from him. Personally, he’s a guy I've known for years, so I’m excited to work with him again!”