Berlin Thunder (NFL Europe)

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Berlin Thunder
Team logo
Founded1999
Closed2007
Based inBerlin, Germany
Home fieldOlympic Stadium
LeagueNFL Europe
ColorsBlack, Green, Tan, Orange, White[1]
         
World Bowls (3)

The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe.

History[edit]

The Thunder came into existence as an expansion team, after the London/England Monarchs franchise shut down operations, prior to the 1999 season. Home games from 1999 to 2002 were played at Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark and one game in 2006. Olympiastadion was the home stadium from 2003 to 2007. They were the second team in league history to use the Thunder name, following the Orlando Thunder from 1991 to 1992.

The Thunder won the World Bowl 3 times: 2001, 2002 and 2004 (a year that they went 9–1). They also made it to the World Bowl in 2005 but were defeated by the Amsterdam Admirals 21–27.

Two Berlin quarterbacks, Rohan Davey (2004) and Dave Ragone (2005), were named NFL Europe Offensive Most Valuable Players. Linebacker Rich Scanlon (2005) was named NFL Europe Defensive MVP. In 2006, the Thunder had three players earn All-NFL Europe honors: guard Chad Beasley and safety Anthony Floyd earned all-league honors at their respective positions and German defensive end Christian Mohr was honored as the national player on the defensive all-league team.

On 1 April 2006, the Thunder recorded their first tie in franchise history. Trailing the Hamburg Sea Devils 17–0 at halftime, the Thunder erased their deficit to tie it up, going into overtime in which neither team could come up with a point. This was only the second tie in the history of NFL Europe. The previous tie came in the 1992 season between the Birmingham Fire and the London Monarchs, also 17-17.

An unrelated team of the same name is to play in the inaugural 2021 season of the new European League of Football

Season-by-season[edit]

Season League Regular season Postseason
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
1999 NFLE 3 7 0 .300 6th (League)
2000 NFLE 4 6 0 .400 6th (League)
2001 NFLE 6 4 0 .600 2nd (League) 1 0 1.000 World Bowl IX champions
2002 NFLE 6 4 0 .600 2nd (League) 1 0 1.000 World Bowl X champions
2003 NFLE 3 7 0 .300 6th (League)
2004 NFLE 9 1 0 .900 1st (League) 1 0 1.000 World Bowl XII champions
2005 NFLE 7 3 0 .700 1st (League) 0 1 .000 Lost to Amsterdam Admirals in World Bowl XIII
2006 NFLE 2 7 1 .250 6th (League)
2007 NFLE 2 8 0 .200 6th (League)
Total 42 47 1 .472 3 1 .750

Head coaches[edit]

# Name Term Regular season Postseason Achievements
GC Won Lost Ties Win % GC Won Lost Win %
1 Wes Chandler 1999 10 3 7 0 .300
2 Peter Vaas 20002003 40 19 21 0 .475 2 2 0 1.000 2 World Bowl championships (IX, X)
NFL Europe Coach of the Year (2002)
3 Rick Lantz 20042006 30 18 11 1 .617 2 1 1 .500 World Bowl XII championship
NFL Europe Coach of the Year (2004)
4 John Allen 2007 10 2 8 0 .200

Notable players[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Team Colors – NFLE". SSUR.org. Retrieved 20 February 2010.