“What a way”: Hennessey announces retirement

Reilly Hennessey stood visibly moved in front of the cameras after Stuttgart Surge’s 24-17 victory over the Vienna Vikings in the European League of Football Championship Game. He could hardly believe his three interceptions himself – but in the end, it was team spirit that made the difference: “Yeah, that wasn't my best game, but man, what a great team to be a part of. That's Surge football. That's what we've been doing all year, just playing complimentary and then just, you know, always having each other's back”, Hennessey told German broadcaster ProSieben.

That unity proved decisive in front of more than 36,000 fans at Stuttgart’s MHP Arena. The quarterback especially emphasized the atmosphere: “You heard that crowd when we had a minute left, and with the ball it was electric. I think that sound really showed what this means to not only our team, but the over 30 thousand people that were here. It was awesome.”

Watch the Championship Game highlights here!

Hennessey's journey through Europe

For the 29-year-old, the title marks the perfect conclusion to a special career that took him from the United States to Italy and Germany. “It's everything. You're always running after someone and so to finally get over that mountain and finally just win, I feel like it's the Avengers, and he snaps his fingers and I can just float into pieces.”

That Hennessey would retire after this triumph had already been decided. He had already talked about retiring after the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but then kept coming back. But now, he leaves the field with a smile: “It was gonna be it regardless. What a way. I've made lifelong friends, and I got my dad here, I got ten family members up there. And just what this game has given me, what this sport, what the ELF, it's unbelievable.”

Family pride for Hennessey

For his father, who had traveled all the way from the U.S., it was an emotional moment: “I'm just so proud of him regardless of the outcome. We didn't think it would be more than one year in Europe, and here we are. Seven, eight years later and just a lot of personal success for Riley and a lot of happiness for our family.”

What began as an adventure became a lasting connection to Europe: “It's really brought our whole family closer to Europe, and he has citizenship in Italy, I have citizenship in Italy now. It's been far greater than anything we could imagine when he got a call, still playing in college, saying, hey, do you want to come over and play football in Italy? And here we are, eight years later.”

Coming full circle for Hennessey and Stuttgart Surge

Hennessey, who joined Stuttgart in 2023, witnessed the transformation of the team firsthand. After the winless 2022 season, he took charge on the field alongside head coach Jordan Neuman – and immediately led Stuttgart Surge to the final. Although that one was lost, Hennessey stayed, delivered another strong season, and now finally crowned himself with the long-awaited title.

And so, Reilly Hennessey left the field not only as a champion, but also as someone who will keep Europe in his heart. For him and his family, this journey does not end in the stat sheets – but in memories.

Read more about Hennessey's last Game - play by play