German former NFL player Christopher Ezeala has signed with the Stuttgart Surge and will suit up as a linebacker with the lightning bolt on his helmet in 2024, as announced by the team on Monday.
Christopher Nwabuisi Ezeala, as his full name is, was one of the few Germans and Europeans that made the leap across the pond. He was discovered by the NFL via the International Player Pathway Program in 2018 and signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 and 2019.

Coming back to the ELF

After a brief stint with the Cologne Centurions, as a running back behind Madre London and as a linebacker,  in the inaugural year of the European League of Football in 2021, he was selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Global Draft and went on to play 11 games as a starter in the 2021 season. Now, he is coming back to the European stage.

Chris Ezeala tackling Zach Edwards in Week 2 of the 2021 regular season. © Marc Junge

"I am delighted to be part of the Surge family! Our common goal speaks volumes, no words are needed." Ezeala said in the press release. Jordan Neuman, head coach of the Surge, is happy with the signing: "We are delighted that Chris will be joining us for the 2024 season, where he will contribute both on the pitch and in our school project! Chris is an absolute force on the football field, he is extremely versatile and we look forward to maximizing that versatility."