Running back Dwayne Obi and Bravos prepare for ELF debut

ELF newcomer hopes to help lead the Madrid Bravos to success in year one. The Madrid Bravos will play their first-ever ELF game this weekend as the expansion franchise makes its highly anticipated debut against the Barcelona Dragons this Saturday, June 1st at 18:00 CET. The newly formed rivalry has Bravos running back Dwayne Obi and his teammates locked in for week one: 

"Since we found out that Barcelona was on our schedule, everyone has been referring to that game as the “El Clasico”. Speaking to my teammates, they have said that it is going to be one of the most important games that we will play this year. As a team, we hope that we can put on a good show on the field for all the fans that come watch at Vallehermoso Stadium."

ELF Rookie ready to be a leader in Madrid

While many of the Bravos players are ELF veterans, British running back Dwayne Obi will be making his ELF debut alongside the team. The 189cm and 105kg ball carrier is coming off of a fantastic season in the German Football League, where he racked up 1,402 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns. 

Obi’s bruising running style earned him a place on the Great Britain National team, where he scored two touchdowns against Italy in 2022. Before taking his talents abroad, Obi was a key member of the London Warriors and Coventry University teams in his home country.  

Now adjusting to life in the Spanish capital, Obi and his new teammates have been preparing diligently for the challenge of representing Madrid in the ELF. 
 
"The training camp that our team had this year was really good. We all feel like we have made a lot of improvements in multiple areas of this football team. From week 1 of training camp, we have had good team cohesion and have grown a lot as individuals, but most importantly as teammates. All the players and coaches have been focused on becoming 1% better day after day. I believe that the Madrid Bravos are ready to face this new season and compete all the way until the end of September."

Obi and a talented group of players prepares for their Bravos debut

The talented Brit joins an impressive cast of players on offense, featuring 2023 ELF Champion Willie Patterson, along with quarterback Chris Helbig. The imports will look to mesh with a strong core of talented homegrowns that include ELF veterans such as Mario Flores and Celestin Ngimbi. Obi speaks highly of his new teammates: 

"Our offense is led by a true professional and a great leader in Chris Helbig. Knowing that we have Chris commanding this offense every time we step on the field gives all of us a lot of confidence going into each game. When looking at the guys that we have, I’m positive that we will have a fast and explosive offense. We are very fortunate to have multiple receivers and tight ends who can make big plays for us in any situation."

Establishing the run

"In addition, we believe that with the talented offensive line we have on this team, we will be able to support the passing game by establishing a good run game with all the running backs that we have. The Madrid Bravos’ are filled with talent in every position, and we can’t wait to finally get the opportunity to fly around and make plays when it matters the most."

Even with the heated rivalry coming up, and his personal debut in the ELF, Obi sees the bigger picture when thinking about the Bravos taking the field for the very first time: 
 
“"e want to give the fans the best possible experience for football in Spain. The best players from Spain, playing for both teams in a big game. The franchise has been doing a lot to ensure that they create a good game-day atmosphere. We as players and also the coaches have been working very hard to make sure that we come out and play Bravos football for our first game of the season. We all hope to see a really good atmosphere and feel the Stampede helping us to get the win this Saturday. Go Bravos!"