NFL Europe

[polsongrizz]

Any news on the guys who are playing over there? Haven't read much about that league.

[colgate13]

Last update I heard about John Friser ('gate 04) TE is he's with the Berlin Thunder. He caught a pass for a TD last weekend. He now has caught 5 passes with an 11.4 yard average, longest 25 yards, and 1 TD.

We're hoping he makes the Steelers in the fall (they hold his FA contract).

[Fordham]

Kevin Eakin (Fordham '04) is doing well for the Frankfurt Galaxy. His best outing was back on April 30th where he was 10/21 for 116yds but most importantly, threw the game winning TD with 16 seconds left on the clock to beat Rhein.

He started out the season as #2 or 3 on the depth chart behind Akili Smith and is now the starter.

[GannonFan]

Andy Hall (UD) did not look good early and is a backup now for Scott McBrien on the Rhein Fire. Jamin Elliot (UD) is seeing starting time as a WR for Cologne. Had a big game Saturday over Berlin (5 catches 85 yards) and is 4th in the league on kickoff return average.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Scott Connot (S) formerly of SDSU and currently of the Amstradam Admirals is leading his team in tackles and is 2nd in NFLE. He signed with the KC Chiefs as an undrafted free agent before last season. He was initially cut and then later resigned to the practice squad. Late in the season he was activated when Priest Holmes went down for the season. He played in a couple of games, mainly on special teams.

[RockyMtnGriz]

Chris Snyder from the Griz is second in points for kicking.

Kicking
Player PAT FG Lg Pts
T.France, Ham (TB) 12/12 16/19 54 61
C.Snyder, Ams (HOU) 20/20 10/14 41 50
K.Miller, Ber (SEA) 13/14 11/13 46 46
J.Kibble, Col 12/13 11/13 48 45
N.Setta, Rhe (CHI) 13/13 7/11 48 34
S.Scaldaferri, Fra (IND) 8/10 4/6 42 20
O.Pochman, Fra (BUF) 1/1 0/0 0 1

[Cocky]

Leading Rushers
Player No Yds Avg Lg TD
J.Smith, Ams (KC) 87 486 5.6 56t 2
J.Smith, Rhe (TEN) 112 483 4.3 25 3
J.Payton, Ams (TEN) 62 410 6.6 53 5
A.Galloway, Fra (SD) 90 373 4.1 31 1
K.Chapman, Col (NE) 66 333 5 25 2
C.Murray, Ber (SD) 72 307 4.3 27 0
K.Kincade, Col (DAL) 71 252 3.5 18 3
LJ.Flowers, Ber (NYJ) 65 244 3.8 21 5
Z.Abron, Ham (CHI) 50 212 4.2 24t 2
L.Croom, Ham (ARI) 59 200 3.4 18 1

JSU's former RB is having a good year. He was signed by the Pats before he crossed the pond.

[umassfan]

Jeff Krohn did sign to play there but ended up having open heart surgury and that ended his football career!

[charliej]

Former Nova CB Clarence Curry is doing well with Rhein,He has been getting in time as a corner,safety and some special teams as well. 1 Int.,1 sack 1 KR,1 PR. He's hoping to get back with Arizona this year.

Another Nova grad.TE Matt Chila is with Hamburg from the NY Jets.Unfortunately he tore his ACL at the start of the season,same one that ended his senior year at Nova in '03. Not sure if he will try to return or not.

[Anovafan]

Former Nova CB Clarence Curry is doing well with Rhein,He has been getting in time as a corner,safety and some special teams as well. 1 Int.,1 sack 1 KR,1 PR. He's hoping to get back with Arizona this year.

Another Nova grad.TE Matt Chila is with Hamburg from the NY Jets.Unfortunately he tore his ACL at the start of the season,same one that ended his senior year at Nova in '03. Not sure if he will try to return or not.

Curry is starting for the Fire and doing pretty well. He looks like he put on some muscle since his Nova days. Hopefully he can get some more playing time with Arizona this year, I know they like him and his size.

[Delaware Ghostrider II]

Here are Andy's stats as of 5/7/05:

Passing: 39 Att/16 Comp 116 yards 41% pct 1 TD 57.3 rating

Rushing: 3 Atts/12 yds 0 TD


**main thing I see is he's not getting the playing time. I hated to see Philly send him over there. If the don't play him he'll never get back to the NFL.

[GannonFan]

It's a wakeup call for Hall - he couldn't beat out McBrien for the sole starting role, despite the fact that McBrien is a turnover machine (leads Europe in picks). Andy just couldn't move the ball at all. What we're finding out is that maybe Andy just can't hack it in the NFL at all, at least not right now. Maybe going to Arena and getting some more seasoning could help.

[Delaware Ghostrider II]

I think arean ball would be better. As for me....I think it would rather be uncomfortable for me to be a Delawarean ( a south carolininan for Andy) get drafted by Philly....which is so close to home...then sent across the pond to Europe where he more than likely doesn't know a soul. I think that would weigh a lil on my mind too. Bring him back let him play for Jon Bon Jovi in Philly.....at least he could maybe gain some favoritism from local fans and Andy Reid could follow him a lil more closely. I'm still shocked that they signed that piece of dung Jeff Blake over him.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

FROM EIGHT TO GREAT

By Craig TerBlanche

Growing up in Spencer, Nebraska, a town of only 500 people, makes it very difficult to breakthrough into professional sports, but Amsterdam Admirals safety Scott Connot is out to prove otherwise. Connot started his football journey in the seventh grade and from there went on to play eight-man football at Spencer-Naper High School.

“We had an eight-man team in high school and I did play both ways,” Connot said. “On offense I played quarterback and tailback. On defense I played linebacker and as a defensive back. I didn’t even think about it at the time. It is what we grew up playing. When we watched football on TV it was obviously 11-man and we knew it wasn’t the norm, but it is what we were given so we just played it and had fun with it.”

In high school it was fun, but when it came time to go to college Connot realized he was at a huge disadvantage having only played eight-man football.

“It was pretty tough coming out of high school,” Connot said. “Coming from a small school you don’t have much tape on you. The competition level obviously isn’t as high and they just don’t think you can play 11-man football because you don’t have any experience at it.”

Connot ended up enrolling at South Dakota State, a NCAA Division II school where he was a three-year starter at safety.

“I really liked the program that they had going on there,” he said. “I felt that between the coaching staff and the way I felt about the school it would be a good place for me.”

As a senior, Connot recorded 94 tackles, two interceptions and had nine pass break-ups, earning All-North Central Conference and second-team All-Region honors.

“I had a pretty successful college career,” he said. “Ever since high school I have been an under the radar type of person. I have been pretty consistent, but not a whole lot of hype.”

Coming out of college, Connot knew the NFL was an option, but with his background didn’t think he had a realistic chance.

“I thought it would be a pretty big long shot,” he said. “I knew I had the athletic tools to get there. I just needed to be able to show that in front of some scouts. I worked out hard one spring, tested out in front of them and said, ‘lets see what happens from here.’”

Connot’s workout was impressive as he clocked a 4.48-second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 40 inches.

“It went well,” Connot said with a smile. “I turned some heads with my 40 time and my vertical jump. It helped me out a lot, but I am not going to lie. I have looked at some of the combine results and I was doing just as well, if not better than some of the guys that got drafted. Obviously, I have not played against the talent that they have, so maybe I shouldn’t get looked at as highly as they did, but it shows that I belong.”

After six weeks of competition in Europe, there is no question that Connot belongs. Connot leads the Admirals in tackles with 34 and has five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

“The talent level over here is almost the same caliber as in the NFL,” he said. “Some of the guys just need a little touch up here and a little touch up there. This is a great league and it has been a great experience, especially for me.”

Connot, who is allocated by the Kansas City Chiefs, is hoping his hard work will pay off and be rewarded with a roster spot when he returns home.

“I am hoping to go back and fight for a roster spot with the Chiefs this coming fall,” he said. “I really like Kansas City. I really like Gunther Cunningham, coach Vermeil and the whole organization. I would love to be a part of that squad this coming fall.”

Whether or not Connot makes it with the Chiefs is up to him, but for now he is just happy to be playing football and gaining the necessary experience needed for the next level.

“I am just trying to take advantage of every chance I get to play football,” he said. “This has been a great experience so far. I will keep doing what is asked of me. With hard work and doing what people ask of you that will take you a long way.”

http://www.admirals.nl/english/verhalen/wk6_scottconnot.html

**Connot had 7 tackles and 2 INT's this past week vs. the Sea Devils

[UDChE89]

Andy's on IR according to the NFL Europe website with a rib injury. I thought I had read about that a few weeks ago.

[Mr. C]

Quote:
In high school it was fun, but when it came time to go to college Connot realized he was at a huge disadvantage having only played eight-man football.

“It was pretty tough coming out of high school,” Connot said. “Coming from a small school you don’t have much tape on you. The competition level obviously isn’t as high and they just don’t think you can play 11-man football because you don’t have any experience at it.”


Football is football, no matter what level it is. If you are good enough, you will succeed. I love stories about players like Connot, who prove the so-called "scouts" wrong.

[Rabbitlivinginverm]

Scott Connet (S) formerly of South Dakota State University has led the Admirals to the World Bowl. He had 7 tackles, 2 int's and a fumble recovery last weekend. He played on the Chiefs practice squad most of last year and was activated late in the season. Hopefully, he's turning some heads in NFLE and will get even more of a chance this year.

Connots stats to date in NFLE:
57 tackles, 10 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, 4 int's

http://www.nfleurope.com/news/story/8515563

Admirals end World Bowl drought

May 29, 2005
NFL Europe

Hamburg Sea Devils 10, Amsterdam Admirals 27
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Attendance: 16,371

QUARTERBACK Kurt Kittner threw a hat-trick of second half touchdown passes to San Diego Chargers-allocated wide receiver Ruvell Martin to blow open what had been a tight, low-scoring affair in the Netherlands.

And with the Cologne Centurions losing at home to the Rhein Fire, the Admirals booked a first World Bowl berth since 1995 and will face the Berlin Thunder in the championship game in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Saturday June 11.

Martin, who ended the game with 5 receptions for 114 yards, reeled in scoring strikes of 13, 37 and 25 yards to give him a league-leading 10 touchdown receptions on the season.

Amsterdam’s defense was also in dominant form, intercepting Hamburg quarterbacks four times and recovering a fumble. The Admirals recorded six interceptions during an overtime loss against the Sea Devils in Week 7.

Casey Bramlet and Ryan Dinwiddie were each picked off twice, with safety Scott Connot leading Amsterdam’s defensive charge with 7 tackles, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery.

After a slow start, Kittner put up solid numbers for the Admirals, hitting on 19 of 35 passes for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Cincinnati Bengals passer Bramlet, who was intercepted four times in Hamburg’s previous meeting with the Admirals, made a shaky start to the game, fumbling the opening snap before falling on the loose ball.

Two plays later, Bramlet attempted an ill-advised pass as he was about to be sacked by defensive tackle Jeremy Caudill and Admirals safety Ron Israel made a diving interception at Hamburg’s 40-yard line.

Jarrett Payton rushed three times for 16 yards as the Admirals moved into scoring range before Kittner (Chicago Bears) threw incomplete on third down. Chris Snyder then had his 44-yard field goal attempt blocked by defensive tackle Aaron Hunt.

Despite starting their second drive of the day at their own 6-yard line, the Admirals got on the scoreboard through Snyder’s 23-yard field goal with 2:33 remaining in the first quarter. The scoring march got off to a good start as Martin drew a 39-yard pass interference penalty out of Sea Devils cornerback Rufus Brown.

Kittner then hit wideout Ataveus Cash for a 21-yard gain, French tight end Yoan Schnee for 7 yards and Payton on a 9-yard screen pass. But the Admirals couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone as Martin failed to haul in what would have been a touchdown strike from Kittner on third down, bringing on the field goal unit to give the home side a 3-0 lead....

[Fordham]

very cool article on Fordham QB Kevin Eakin in the following: very cool article on Fordham QB Kevin Eakin (http://nfleurope.com/teams/story/FRA/8542538)

Best part:


Eakin, a New York Jets allocation, was one player who shone especially bright throughout the season. The unheralded passer out of Fordham University came into training camp under everybody's radar, but by the end of the season, he emerged as the leader of this young Galaxy squad, and found himself among the league leaders in passing efficiency and passer rating.

[89rabbit]

Here is a link to an Argus Leader story about SDSU's favorite NFL Europe player, who was named to the All-NFL Europe 1st team this week.

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050611/SPORTS0202/506110311/1002/SPORTS

SDSU grad will play in World Bowl XIII

From college to NFL Europe title game, Connot has come a long way

CHRIS SOLARI
[email protected]

Published: 06/11/05

Scott Connot's route to a professional football career is about as winding as they come.

Dusseldorf, Germany, is just another surprising stop along the road.

The former South Dakota State star has spent his summer in the Netherlands, playing in the NFL's developmental league. He and his Amsterdam Admirals (6-4) will take on the Berlin Thunder today in World Bowl XIII in Dusseldorf. The game begins at 11 a.m. CDT and will be televised on KTTW-TV. . . .

[VictorG]

Any news on the guys who are playing over there? Haven't read much about that league.

I bet all of them say the women over their don't hold their hands up as high as the chick in your avatar!

[DaBears]

how much do NFL Europe players get paid?