Kyle Kitchens made a real blockbuster deal this offseason. After three years together, the defensive end left Berlin Thunder. The 29-year-old American played 35 games for the team from the German capital. Before that, he played one season for the Leipzig Kings.

Since entering the league in 2021, Kitchens has been among the absolute defensive elite. The pass rusher has been named to the All-Star team every season so far and has been crowned Defensive Player of the Year three times. He also holds several records, including the most sacks in a season. In 45 ELF games, he recorded over 200 tackles and an impressive 60 sacks.

Now a new chapter awaits him at the Hamburg Sea Devils. In the new video format ELF One on One, Kitchens talks exclusively about the background to the change. 

Kyle Kitchens left Berlin Thunder. ©Eric Muehle

Familiar structures broke

“When a couple guys from the management team left, it started to go a little different,” describes Kitchens. The relationship with the new management crumbled. Both sides decided to part ways. “We just decided to say, hey, let's just do all the paperwork to just step away.”

Then, Kitchens discovered that the Hamburg Sea Devils had hired Shuan Fatah as head coach and Lee Rowland as offensive coordinator. Two men with a special connection to Kitchens: “I'm very close with these guys. We know each other for five years almost.”

Reunion in Hamburg

Kitchens and Fatah met at the Hildesheim Invaders in 2020. The same applies to Rowland, whom Kitchens also met again last season at the Thunder, where he served as Special Teams Coordinator.

The coaches kept in touch with the defensive star. “And now we just have a long-term friendship. It's like a big old happy family somehow, some way”, says Kitchens. He describes Fatah as a coach with exceptional leadership and communication skills. “That's one thing that's hard to find out of many coaches:” 

Watch the full interview!

Kitchens: "I'm always going to have love for my fans"

Both coaches encouraged Kitchens to move to Hamburg. Kitchens says: “It was no second chance. It was no second thought. It was just like, let's go. Let's go repeat. Let's just go get this team back together. So that's the best thing. And now it's just like the best decision I have made so far in my health career.”

Despite his departure, Kitchens is grateful for his time in Berlin: “I'm always going to have love for my fans. I'm always going to have love for the people who come in support. I'm always going to have love for my teammates. We went three years for each other battle on and off the field. So I'm always going to have love for them.” 

Kitchens looks forward to new team

Nevertheless, he is very much looking forward to his new team. “Most of all, I'm excited to have my brother, Terry Young Robinson back.” The US receiver recently signed with the Sea Devils. Both attended elementary school together. “Just excited for everybody, really. But I have a couple of guys that we just built a bond, closer than ever.”

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