The Comeback Player of the Year Nominees
Felix Pahl
The ELF Honors return in 2025, taking place at PALM Beach in Stuttgart on the evening before the European League of Football Championship Game. On this special night, winners in 13 categories will be crowned, honoring the best athletes, coaches, and moments of the season.
One of the most inspiring awards of the evening will be the Comeback Player of the Year. This award recognizes a player who has made a strong return to the field after a significant setback. It is given to an athlete who has shown perseverance, determination, and exceptional performance following their comeback.
Eligibility: Players who have demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury, or other circumstances that led them to miss playing time the previous season.
Get your tickets for the ELF Honors!
Here are this year’s nominees:
Florian Bierbaumer, Tight End - Vienna Vikings
Florian Bierbaumer is no stranger to the European League of Football. The tall Austrian tight end made an impact back in 2022 when the Vienna Vikings were crowned champions, before catching attention again in 2023 with strong performances that earned him a place in the NFL International Player Pathway Program.
However, injuries slowed him down in 2024. The NFL dream did not materialize, and at the Vikings he struggled to find consistent playing time until late in the season. In 2025, Bierbaumer returned with new ambition. After missing the first two games, he immediately made his mark with a spectacular one-handed catch against the Raiders Tirol. Since then, he has proven to be a reliable target for quarterback Ben Holmes, once again showing why he has some of the best hands in the ELF.
Watch Bierbaumer's catch in the Raiders at Vikings highlights!
Gerald Ameln, Running Back - Frankfurt Galaxy
At just 24 years old, Gerald Ameln is already in his fifth ELF season. The German running back had a breakout year in 2024 with the Cologne Centurions, rushing for 588 yards and 5 touchdowns in only seven games before a serious injury ended his season early.
After a long rehab, Ameln returned to the franchise where he was an All-Star in 2021: the Frankfurt Galaxy. Expected to form a dangerous duo with Sandro Platzgummer, he became the lead back after Platzgummer’s injury. Ameln embraced the challenge, recording 718 total yards and 8 touchdowns in 12 games, proving once again why he is considered one of Germany’s top running backs.
Jon Cole, Wide Receiver - Fehérvár Enthroners
Jon Cole began the 2024 season with the Munich Ravens, expected to bring explosive plays to their offense. But after just four games, injury cut his season short. Entering 2025, Cole struggled to find a starting role, until the Fehérvár Enthroners signed him during a tough stretch.
While the Enthroners won only one game all season, Cole became the team’s brightest star and one of the top performers in the entire league. He finished with 101 receptions for 1,147 yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 914 return yards, ranking among the league’s most productive receivers and returners. For both the Enthroners and the ELF, Cole’s resurgence was one of the standout stories of the year.
A night of inspiration
The Comeback Player of the Year Award highlights the determination and resilience that make football so special. Whether it is Bierbaumer’s return from injury, Ameln’s hard-earned rehab success, or Cole’s explosive breakout after setbacks, each nominee has shown the true spirit of the game. On the night before the Championship Game in Stuttgart, one of them will be honored at the ELF Honors - but all three have already proven to be winners on their journey back to the field.
More News