Oct 12th, 2021 00:00, by Chris Hahn

Jacob Templar on his retirement and first ever season of the European League of Football

„I am super grateful for the European League of Football and Leipzig Kings for having me“

Australian punter Jacob Templar calls it quits. ©Eric Mühle

Oct 12th, 2021 00:00, by Chris Hahn

Jacob Templar on his retirement and first ever season of the European League of Football

„I am super grateful for the European League of Football and Leipzig Kings for having me“

With the first ever off-season there are challenges popping up for franchises that were not present at the start of the inaugural season. With the season now being over, new franchises, new faces will appear and with it, some faces will disappear from the field, going to the sideline or even leaving the football business. With Jacob Templar, the European League of Football will miss a familiar face on and off the field. The 28-year-old Australian hung up his cleats right after the All-Star Game on October 3rd and with him some more players that already decided to call it quits.

"Soak the moment in"

„The last week was interesting – to say the least. After the Kings‘ season was cut short, it was a bitter ending since I knew this was going to be my last season. I made the decision mid-season, but didn’t want to put stress on anybody else on my team“, said the Leipzig Kings‘ punter about his last year of professional football and was happy about the nomination for the All-Star Game: “Being nominated for the All-Star Game was a good chance to meet new players, my teammates again while also having an awesome experience coming to Hamburg for a week to train and play my last game in the All-Star Game.“

While Templar played in Germany for five years as a special teamer, his fanbase grew from season to season, becoming one of the fan-favorites in Leipzig that got him voted as the All-Star punter for the European League of Football. Templar is also known for his YouTube videos and ended his career with a banger: “I wanted to film a lot but wanted to soak the moment in. I kinda enjoyed the moment in Hamburg, especially the gameday and winning the game against the U.S. team. There was no better way to finish my career outside of winning the championship. Playing alongside the best players Europe has to offer was a huge thing and a special form of being recognized as one of them and one of the guys who set the foundation for other players in the European League of Football moving forward. “

Building the foundation

For many players, the first ever season of the European League of Football is going to be their last but will be remembered forever.

For his future, the European League of Football still remains a possibility: “The reason why I am retiring from the game is outside of football. I am turning 29 now, played five years as a special teams player and that’s something that a lot of other players do not have experienced, apart from maybe Phillip Andersen. But my life outside of football played a bigger role now, things speeded up a bit with very exciting times ahead of us. I will stay with the European League of Football, maybe as a fan, maybe creating stuff in the future, but I will not be completely kicking out of the league”. He added: “I am super grateful for the European League of Football and Leipzig Kings for having me, being a part of the first ever year. Only great years ahead for this league if the trajectory that its on, continues the way it seems to be trending. I just wished this would be available for guys eight years ago, so then I would have been in the position that some younger players are in now. Future players are playing on the foundation some are now building. Really excited how these things will go further, even without my strong Australian leg”, Templar jokingly said.  

With him, players like Jhonattan Silva Gomez and others will leave the league and a legacy already up for young players to build on.

Check out his last game:

Check out his last video on youtube:

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