210829 Hamburg Sea Devils - Leipzig Kings

Players to watch: #88 TE Adria Botella Moreno - Season: 9 games, 6 TDs, 462 receiving yards, 10,74 yards per completion. Week 10: Clark tried to pass the ball to him four times but without success. Week 9: 6 receptions, 3 TDs, 58 receiving yards. Week 8: 6 receptions, 47 yards. Week 7: 3 receptions for 38 yards. Week 6: 5 receptions against Wroclaw for 66 yards. Height: 1,98m, Weight: 112kg. He is the favorite target of QB Jadrian Clark.

#26 DB Justin Rogers: Week 10: 95 yards kickoff return TD (4th return TD of the season), 3 solo tackles, 1 INT, 1 deflected pass. Week 9: 3 solo tackles, 1 INT. Week 8:  5 solo tackles (8 total tackles) / 3 TFL. He had 9 returns (3 punt / 6 kickoff) for 170 yards (average 18,88). Week 7: 2 solo tackles, 1 deflected pass, 1 interception. MVP Week 5 - Scored 2 punt return TDs against Leipzig (3 returns for 173 yards). He already had one against Barcelona in Week 3. Played at UTEP (University of Texas, El Paso). Plays an important role in Hamburg Sea Devils defense - in Week 6 he had 6 solo tackles, 3 assisted tackles and 2 deflected balls (Season: 2 INTs)- 40 yd-kickoff return / 58 yd-punt return. Height: 1,80m, Weight: 87kg. He was ranked as the 8th best player of the ELF by Lorenz Leinweber (Sports Illustrated) - the best DB in the league. 

#10 QB Jadrian Clark: 15 touchdowns in 9 games, 10 INTs, 1387 passing yards, 59,45% completion rate. Height: 1,90m, Weight: 95 kg. Played DIV I Football at Weber State. Week 10: 164 yards, 1 TD, 60,87% completion rate. Week 9: 183 yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, 63,6% completion rate, was sacked 3 times. Week 8: 139 yards, 1 INT, 68,2% completion rate. Week 7: 169 passing yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 53% completion rate - was sacked 6 times. Week 6: 165 passing yards + 80 yards rushing / 1 passing touchdown + 1 rushing touchdown.

#24 RB Xavier Jerome Johnson - Week 10: 14 carries, 80 net rushing yards, 1 TD + 1 completed pass to Clark for 12 yards (trickplay). He had to recover throughout the last weeks but Hamburg needed him despite his (injured) status - Now he is back and should be completely fit again. Week 9: 19 carries, 110 net rushing yards, 20 receiving yards (3 receptions). Week 8: 15 carries for 37 net rushing yards - 3 catches for 28 yards. 

Additional player stats:  #4 K/P Philipp Friis Andersen - Week 10: 1/1 FG (31 yards), 3/3 PATs. Week 9: 0/1 FG, 4/4 PATs Week 8: 3/3 FGs, 4 out of 5 kickoffs have been touchbacks. Week 7: 5/5 FGs, 1/1 PAT, MVP candidate - 7 kickoffs, 61.9 average (3 touchbacks). Spent a short time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019 preseason). 20 of 22 successful field goals (He had two times 10 in a row - had his first miss against the Panthers and his second against Berlin - Actual count: 1). Founded his own gin-label “Amager Gin” with two friends in 2020. Beside his kicking ability - he is a really good Punter who is often responsible for the good field positions from Hamburg´s perspective.

Coaches: HC Andreas Nommensen: 1998 Eurobowl winner as player. 2009-2014 Kiel Baltic Hurricanes TE coach. Was a coach for the French National Team (Patrick Esume HC at that point), won world games in 2017, European Championship in 2018. 

Favorite NFL team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets - Coaches he looked up to: Patrick Esume, Bob Valesente (worked in the NFL and alongside Esume and Nommensen in Kiel and in France).

Players to watch: #3 QB Michael Birdsong - MVP Week 10: 191 passing yards, 5 TDs, 64% completion rate + 42 net rushing yards. Week 9: 312 yards, 5 TDs, 70,6% completion rate. Week 7: 328 passing yards, 3 TDs, C-A-I 30-52-0. Won championship in X-League and was the X-League MVP in his few years in Japan. He was with the Seattle Seahawks in training camps. 

#11 WR Anthony Dablè-Wolf: Week 10: 5 receptions, 59 yards, 2 TDs. Week 9: 4 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD - caught the ball for two successful 2-pt conversions. Week 7: 9 receptions (one for 27 yards), 103 yards. Great game in Week 3, 2 TDs (first of the season), 118 yards receiving in week 3. Played in the NFL for Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants as WR. One of the first players to go through the International Pathway Program (NFL Undiscovered). Played for the Hildesheim Invaders and French national team before. Week 4 + 5: Only 4 receptions for 40 yards (W4) and 4 receptions for 35 yards.

#45 LB Kyle Kitchens - Week 10: Scored a touchdown on offense as receiver: 1 catch, 4 yards, 1 TD + 3 total tackles (1 solo), 1 sack (due to Bombek´s injury he is the sack leader of the ELF - Zetterberg 3rd and Buffet 5th), 2 TFL, 1 forced fumble and return for 39 yards. Week 9: 4 solo tackles (5 total), 4,5 sacks / 5 TFL for 36 yards. 

#2 RB Jason Aguemon - Week 10: 17 carries, 184 net rushing yards, 1 TD. Week 9: 12 carries, 79 net rushing yards, 1 TD. Week 7: 23 carries, 133 net rushing yards, 1 TD + 3 catches for 38 receiving yards. 

Keep an eye on #6 WR Timothy Knuettel - Week 10: 5 receptions, 53 yards. Week 9: 5 receptions, 117 yards, 2 TDs. Week 7: 9 receptions, 86 yards, 2 touchdowns. Week 4: 7 receptions for 101 yards against Stuttgart. Height: 1,88m, Weight: 90kg. 

#12 WR Jaleel Awini - Week 10: 3 receptions for 66 yards and 1 TD - caught the ball during the 2pt-conversion. Week 9: 3 receptions for 34 yards, 3 carries for 23 net rushing yards. Played the last drives as QB: 34 passing yards, 1 TD, 66,6% completion rate. Week 7: Was questionable but had 1 reception for 15 yards. Played in Week 3 at QB. Has college experience playing QB, WR at University of Colorado (DIV I). Week 3: 4 passing TD, 1 rushing TD at QB (1 INT as well) + 147 net rushing yards (3rd most in league off all players including RBs), 341 net passing yards for him at QB in Week 3 - incredible stats. In Week 4 he had some issues and played a little bit as QB and as WR - Week 4: QB - 9 passing attempts, 40 passing yards, 1 INT / WR - 4 receptions, 29 yards. Week 5: He played mainly as QB and so Leipzig has one less target. Only 112 passing yards, 56% completion rate - 2 INTs, he was sacked 7 times by Hamburg´s DL.

#8 Alpha Jalloh WR/S: Plays KR, PR, S, and WR as well - was out against Cologne. Week 9: 4 receptions for 14 yards and 1 TD. Week 7: 3 receptions for 59 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT for 30 yards. Week 5: 6 receptions for 55 yards, 2 kickoff returns for 60 yards. Stats and performances before: Had a 68-yard TD on the first play for Leipzig in week 3 against Cologne. Has a lot of return-yards every week (three return-TDs, one each in Week 1 - 98 yards against Berlin + PAT return + one in week 2 + in week 4 -100 yards return TD after the kickoff was repeated). Week 4: 3 kickoff returns for 156 yards + 1 TD / 5 receptions, 1 TD, 84 receiving yards as WR / 2 solo tackles, 1 TFL and 1 INT + 44 yards. 303 offensive yards in Week 4. Was a possible MVP candidate in Week 4, but Jakeb Sullivan (QB Frankfurt) won this award with 5 TDs. Played in Sweden and Finland before (for example Stockholm Mean Machines, like Jan Weinreich during the pandemic and the WASA Royals in Finland – Part of the AFI ALL Pandemic Team). One of the best athletes on the Kings roster and in the ELF in general - very exciting player due to his “triple threat” (defense, offense, returner on special teams).

Coaches: Fred Armstrong - Coaching consultant for the NY Giants at the NFL combine since 2002, once assistant RB coach with the Giants, 2015: trained WR and TE for the New York Jets. A lot of experience as a High School and College coach. Favorite NFL-Team: NY Giants. Coaches he looked up to: Tony Dungy (the first black HC who won the Super Bowl - 2006 with the Indianapolis Colts, 2016 Hall of Fame) and Tom Coughlin (2004 - 2015 HC NY Giants and 2x Super Bowl Champion as HC - He is also an inspiration for Stuttgart´s HC Martin Hanselmann).

DC Joe Bommarito: 2000-2012: Scout for the New York Jets. Football coach in Europe since 2014.