1991: Down by 17, Monarchs Rally Past Knights in WLAF Playoff Game

The World League of American Football Semifinal playoff game on June 2, 1991 featured the London Monarchs, representatives of the European Division and the league’s winningest team with a 9-1 record, and the New York/New Jersey Knights, 5-5 finishers in the North American East Division.

The Monarchs, under Head Coach Larry Kennan, featured an efficient offense that rarely turned the ball over and an aggressive defense. QB Stan Gelbaugh (pictured above) was the league’s top-rated passer with a 92.8 rating and also topped the developmental circuit in passing yards (2656) and touchdown throws (17, tied with Orlando’s Kerwin Bell). RB Judd Garrett topped the WLAF in pass receptions with 71 and WR Jon Horton gained a league-high 931 yards on his 43 catches.

New York/New Jersey was coached by Darrel “Mouse” Davis, the chief architect of the “run-and-shoot” offense, and had the league’s leading ground gainer in RB Eric Wilkerson. The Knights had lost both regular season contests against the Monarchs, but received a break in being able to host the Semifinal game rather than travel to London. Due to soccer matches scheduled at Wembley Stadium, the Monarchs were forced to go on the road despite having the better record.

There were 23,149 fans in attendance at Giants Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The Knights ran into trouble early when center Pete Scott went out with a back injury, forcing changes on the offensive line, but they still managed to take an early lead when Kendall Trainor kicked a 33-yard field goal late in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, New York/New Jersey added to the lead as QB Jeff Graham threw to WR Kip Lewis for a 13-yard touchdown. Trainor added the extra point to make it 10-0.

It was Graham connecting with Lewis again a few minutes later, this time for a 49-yard TD and, with Trainor’s point after, the Knights held an improbable 17-0 lead. The Monarchs began to mount their comeback as Gelbaugh threw to WR Andre Riley for a six-yard touchdown to finally get on the board and then to RB Judd Garrett for a 21-yard TD. Both were followed by Phil Alexander conversions. On the final play of the first half, Trainor kicked a 48-yard field goal and New York/New Jersey took a 20-14 edge into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, London scored again on a one-yard touchdown toss from Gelbaugh to TE Pat Davis and Alexander’s extra point gave the Monarchs their first lead of the day at 21-20. Still in the third quarter, Gelbaugh fired his fourth scoring pass, this time to WR Jon Horton, who leaped to pull it in and went the distance for a 68-yard TD. With the successful conversion by Alexander, the visitors were now in front by 28-20.

The Knights had been moving the ball well and finally added points on a six-yard touchdown run by Eric Wilkerson. The attempt for a two-point conversion failed but London’s lead was cut to 28-26.

Down by two points in the fourth quarter, the Knights advanced into London territory but turned the ball over on a first down play at the 24 when Graham fumbled the snap and LB Marlon Brown recovered for the Monarchs. On their next series, once again the home team advanced into London territory and again turned the ball over. Facing third-and-four at the visitors’ 25, the Knights went to the air and Graham’s throw was intercepted by CB Corris Ervin at the seven with 3:38 remaining to play.

The Monarchs, having twice dodged bullets on their end of the field, responded with a touchdown on a pass from Gelbaugh to Horton that covered 78 yards. Alexander converted and it was more than enough to clinch the result, but London scored one more TD on a three-yard carry by RB David Smith with 51 seconds left on the clock to win by a final score of 42-26.

The Monarchs had the edge in total yards (518 to 418), first downs (25 to 21), and time of possession (34:05 to 25:55). While the Knights moved the ball well through the air, they also turned the ball over five times, to four suffered by London, and the Monarchs recorded nine sacks, to three by New York/New Jersey. The Monarchs missed scoring opportunities on three failed field goal attempts by Alexander while Trainor made good on two of three for the home team. There were many penalties, with 11 flags thrown on London at a cost of 78 yards and eight tossed against the Knights for 69 yards.

Stan Gelbaugh completed 25 of 41 passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions. Jon Horton, with the two long scoring catches, had 8 pass receptions for 225 yards. FB Jeff Alexander rushed for 123 yards on 21 carries.

For the Knights, Jeff Graham was successful on 19 of 35 throws for 399 yards and two TDs while also giving up three interceptions. Kip Lewis had a big performance in defeat with 9 pass receptions for 245 yards and the two early touchdowns. Eric Wilkerson led the club in rushing with 47 yards on 10 attempts.

The win over the Knights put London in the WLAF Championship game, the World Bowl, against the Barcelona Dragons. The Monarchs won a 21-0 shutout to achieve the league’s first title. New York/New Jersey came back with a better record at 6-4 in 1992, but failed to qualify for the postseason.

2006: Galaxy Run Over Admirals for NFL Europa Title

World Bowl XIV, the championship game of NFL Europa (the re-named NFL Europe) on May 27, 2006, was billed as a showdown between the formidable ground attack of the Frankfurt Galaxy and the pass-oriented offense of the Amsterdam Admirals.

The Admirals, coached by Bart Andrus for the sixth season, were the defending champs of the developmental league and had swept the season series with Frankfurt, but were also without QB Gibran Hamdan, who had a passer rating of 113.4 until suffering a broken ankle with three games to play. The effect of the loss of Hamdan did not bode well; the Admirals were 6-1, averaging 30 points per game, with Hamdan behind center but 1-2, scoring just 17 points per contest, in his absence.

The Galaxy, also 7-3 under Head Coach Mike Jones, had set an NFL Europa record with 1750 rushing yards and featured the circuit’s leading ground gainer in RB Roger “Rabbit” Robinson, who gained 1087 yards of that total.

There were 36,286 fans in attendance at Dusseldorf’s LTU Arena, and they saw a first half that was dominated by the two defenses. Frankfurt scored first with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter when DT Jerome Nichols sacked Amsterdam QB Jared Allen in the end zone for a safety. In the second quarter, the Admirals put together a drive of 55 yards in seven plays that ended with RB Larry Croom running for a 12-yard touchdown and, with Ryan Killeen adding the extra point, Amsterdam took a 7-2 lead into halftime.

On Frankfurt’s first series of the third quarter, RB Butchie Wallace (pictured above), who had carried just once in the first thirty minutes, ran the ball five times, the last for a four-yard touchdown to cap an eight-play, 66-yard possession that set the tone for the second half. David Kimball successfully converted and, shortly thereafter, safety Brandon Haw intercepted an Allen pass and returned it 27 yards to set up a 29-yard Kimball field goal that extended the Galaxy’s lead to 12-7.

Early in the fourth quarter, Frankfurt scored again following a long drive that covered 62 yards in 14 plays and ran 8:42 off the clock. The series featured 10 rushes for 51 yards by Wallace and concluded with another Kimball field goal, this time from 37 yards, to make it a 15-7 contest.

The Galaxy put the game away thanks to a 63-yard run by Wallace with 1:46 left to play that set up a 12-yard touchdown carry by FB J.R. Niklos, who ran the ball just twice during the contest but did a noteworthy job of blocking. Kimball kicked the point after and Frankfurt won by a final score of 22-7.

The Galaxy gained 269 yards on 42 running plays while completing just seven passes for 72 yards. Amsterdam managed only 86 yards through the air and accumulated 109 yards on the ground, giving Frankfurt a big overall yardage lead of 341 to 195. First downs were more evenly divided, with the Galaxy holding a 16 to 15 edge. Frankfurt also accounted for six sacks, to one by the Admirals, and Amsterdam also suffered the game’s only turnover.

Butchie Wallace, who was cut during training camp and didn’t rejoin the Galaxy until the fifth week, rushed for 143 yards on 18 carries and was chosen as the game’s MVP. Roger Robinson overcame a slow first half performance to gain 96 yards on 19 attempts. As for the passing of Frankfurt’s two quarterbacks, Jeff Otis was five of 12 for 32 yards and Bryson Spinner made good on two of seven throws for 43 yards. WR Aaron Hosack led the club in pass receiving with three catches for 47 yards.

For the Admirals, Jared Allen was successful on 13 of 26 passes for 126 yards with no TDs and one interception. RB Larry Croom gained 82 yards on 14 carries that included a TD and also caught five passes for another 40 yards. WR Skyler Fulton accumulated 41 yards on his four receptions.

“Without a question, we are a running team and we did what we do best,” summed up Frankfurt’s Coach Jones.

“In the second half, they just ran it at us, play after play,” said Amsterdam DE Earl Cochrane.

The World Bowl victory marked the fourth title for Frankfurt, a record for the league. The Galaxy returned to the title game in 2007, but lost to the Hamburg Sea Devils. Amsterdam dropped to 4-6 in what was NFL Europa’s final season.

The 2006 season was the only one for Butchie Wallace, who had been a productive but injury-plagued player in college at Marshall. Undrafted by the NFL, his performance in the World Bowl drew interest and he signed with the Atlanta Falcons but was sidelined by a torn Achilles tendon and released in 2007.

1991: Bell Throws 5 TD Passes as Thunder Edge Riders in WLAF Debut

The NFL’s developmental circuit, the World League of American Football, took the field in the spring of 1991. The first week’s games, which for the most part were rather conservatively played and low-scoring, concluded with a Monday night contest between the Orlando Thunder and San Antonio Riders on March 25, 1991.

The Thunder were coached by Don Matthews, who had previously been with several CFL clubs, and utilized a no-huddle offense. QB Kerwin Bell (pictured at right) was a local product out of the Univ. of Florida and was the Southeastern Conference’s all-time leader in passing yards and TD passes. While he had been with three NFL teams, Bell had never thrown a regular season pass for any of them, and he was coming off of a major knee injury the previous year.

San Antonio, under Head Coach Mike Riley, had the sibling combination of QB Jason Garrett (future head coach of the Dallas Cowboys) and WR John Garrett (future assistant coach with many pro and college teams) on a roster that, like the league’s other clubs, primarily contained players that were young and unknown, seeking to catch the attention of NFL teams.

There were 21,714 enthusiastic fans in attendance on a Monday night at the Florida Citrus Bowl. On the first play from scrimmage, Bell connected with RB Eric Mitchell on a crossing pattern for a 75-yard touchdown. Charlie Baumann added the extra point for the quick 7-0 Orlando advantage.

The Riders responded with a possession that advanced 74 yards in nine plays. Jason Garrett threw to RB Ricky Blake for a 24-yard gain along the way and the series concluded with Blake running for an eight-yard TD. Teddy Garcia tied the score with the point after.

The Thunder advanced to another score, with Bell this time connecting with WR Byron Williams, a veteran of the CFL, for a 42-yard touchdown. Baumann again successfully converted to make the score 14-7 with 4:49 remaining in the opening period.

To start the second quarter, Bell again threw to Williams for a 37-yard TD, but the try for the point after was blocked. Still, Orlando took a 20-7 lead into halftime. Bell had completed only 7 of 19 passes, but they were good for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

San Antonio had the momentum in the third quarter. Garrett passed to Blake from a yard out for one touchdown and RB Undra Johnson ran three yards for another. Garcia successfully converted after each to put the visitors in front by 21-20. Later in the period, the Thunder rebounded to re-take the lead. Bell threw to Williams once again for a 23-yard TD. Another Bell pass, to TE Bruce LaSane, was complete for a two-point conversion.

In the fourth quarter, Bell connected with WR Chris Roscoe for a one-yard touchdown, his fifth of the game, and Baumann booted the extra point. Down 35-21, San Antonio narrowed the gap as backup QB Lee Saltz threw to John Garrett for a 25-yard touchdown. The Riders scored again when Johnson ran for a five-yard TD with 1:24 remaining to play in regulation. Rather than attempt a two-point conversion for the potential win, Coach Riley chose to play for the tie, but Garcia hooked the extra point attempt to the left and Orlando held on to win by a final score of 35-34.

San Antonio had the edge in total yards (377 to 365), first downs (24 to 18), and time of possession (32:52 to 27:08). The Thunder had six sacks, to two by the Riders, who were also penalized 10 times to four flags thrown on Orlando. Each team turned the ball over once.

Kerwin Bell completed 14 of 34 passes, good for 269 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. Byron Williams had four catches for 113 yards and three TDs and Eric Mitchell, with the one long score to start the game, gained 95 yards on his three receptions. RB Myron Jones led Orlando’s rushers with 85 yards on 15 carries.

For the Riders, Jason Garrett was successful on 16 of 25 throws for 121 yards and a TD with none picked off and Lee Saltz was 9-of-15 for 127 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. WR Dwight Pickens caught 8 passes for 52 yards and John Garrett gained 95 yards on his three receptions. Undra Johnson ran for 79 yards on 15 rushing attempts that included two TDs and Ricky Blake gained 73 yards on 8 carries that also included a touchdown.

Orlando won big the next week but then lost five straight games. While the Thunder rebounded with three wins to finish out the regular season, they ended up with a 5-5 record and finished second in the North American East Division. The Riders placed second in the North American West Division at 4-6.

Kerwin Bell went on to complete 181 of 325 passes for 2214 yards and tied for the league lead with 17 touchdown passes while giving up 14 interceptions. He ranked fourth in passing with a 76.4 rating. He was back with the Thunder in 1992, but as a little-used backup to Scott Mitchell. While he finally saw some brief regular season action for the Colts in 1995, his most significant playing time came during eight CFL seasons, most notably with Toronto in 1998 when he threw for 4991 yards and 27 TDs.

2004: Thunder Defeat Galaxy in World Bowl XII for NFL Europe Title

The championship game of NFL Europe, World Bowl XII, was played on June 12, 2004 and featured the defending-champion Frankfurt Galaxy against the Berlin Thunder, who finished with the best record.

Berlin, under first-year Head Coach Rick Lantz, went 9-1 and was back in the World Bowl after the absence of a year, having won back-to-back titles in 2001 and ’02. The Thunder had the developmental league’s Offensive Player of the Year in QB Rohan Davey. RB Eric McCoo (pictured above) was NFL Europe’s leading rusher with 669 yards.

Frankfurt finished second with a 7-3 record during the regular season, although two of the losses came in late-season contests against the Thunder. The Galaxy also had a first-year head coach in Mike Jones and had the rushing runner-up in RB Skip Hicks and the second-ranked passer in QB J.T. O’Sullivan.

There were 35,413 fans in attendance at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The Galaxy had the game’s first possession, but four plays into the contest a J.T. O’Sullivan pass was intercepted by Berlin DT Montique Sharpe, who returned it 28 yards for a touchdown. Heinz Quast added the extra point.

Frankfurt responded by driving 66 yards in 11 plays. O’Sullivan connected with WR Derrick Lewis three times and a 15-yard facemask penalty was tacked on to an eight-yard run by the quarterback. However, after getting a first down at the Berlin 11, the drive stalled and Ralf Kleinmann kicked a 28-yard field goal.

A promising series by the Thunder ended with WR Chas Gessner being stripped of the ball while trying to gain additional yards after a catch and DB Chris Brown recovered for the Dragons. Following a Barcelona punt, a nine-yard run by Eric McCoo and two completions by Rohan Davey advanced Berlin to the Dragons’ 29, but McCoo fumbled the ball away. A mishandled snap gave the Thunder possession again at the Frankfurt 36 and Davey threw to TE Bryan Fletcher for 17 yards, but once again McCoo coughed up the ball to end the series.

With two minutes remaining in the first half, and following yet another Berlin turnover, the Galaxy put together a five-play, 55-yard possession that culminated in O’Sullivan throwing to Lewis for an eight-yard TD. The drive was highlighted by an O’Sullivan carry of 17 yards that had a 15-yard personal foul penalty added on. Kleinmann successfully kicked the point after.

There was still time remaining and, utilizing a hurry-up offense, the Thunder put together a 51-yard series in seven plays. Jonathan Ruffin kicked a 38-yard field goal and the halftime score was tied at 10-10.

In the third quarter, an interception of a Davey pass by DB Lynaris Elpheage led to another scoring opportunity for Frankfurt, but a field goal attempt had to be aborted due to a bad snap and PK Kleinmann’s pass was picked off by LB Kevin DeRonde and returned 22 yards. On the next play, the Thunder utilized trickery as Davey handed off to WR Richard Alston on an apparent end-around, but he instead passed to a wide-open Chas Gessner for a 60-yard touchdown. Quast’s conversion put Berlin in front by seven points.

The ensuing kickoff was returned 64 yards by WR Hugo Lira, but two sacks kept the Galaxy at bay. The Thunder were pinned back at their two after the punt, but runs by McCoo and catches on swing passes by FB Ed Stansbury  moved the ball all the way to the Frankfurt 24. A pass into the end zone was incomplete and Ruffin kicked a 42-yard field goal to extend Berlin’s lead.

The turnovers continued as the kickoff was fumbled by WR Jason Willis to give the Thunder possession at the Frankfurt 22, and while they couldn’t reach the end zone, Ruffin added another three points from 40 yards. Berlin took a 23-10 advantage into the final quarter.

Both offenses bogged down until the Thunder scored once more on a 69-yard touchdown run by McCoo. Quast kicked the PAT. With Berlin up by a 30-10 score with six minutes to play, the game appeared to be a rout, but the Galaxy mounted a comeback. A 64-yard drive in five plays ended with O’Sullivan throwing to WR Drew Haddad for a 17-yard TD. Kleinmann again kicked the extra point.

When the Galaxy got the ball back, they drove to another score. O’Sullivan this time connected with Lewis for a 19-yard touchdown.  Kleinmann ‘s point after made it a six-point game, but that was the last gasp for the defending champs as time ran out on them and Berlin came away with a 30-24 win.

The Thunder had the edge in total yards (451 to 255), first downs (22 to 20), and time of possession (32:39 to 27:21). However, in the sloppily-played contest, both teams turned the ball over five times apiece and Berlin committed a staggering 16 penalties, at a cost of 154 yards, while Frankfurt was flagged five times.

Eric McCoo was the game’s MVP as he rushed for 167 yards on 28 carries that included the one long touchdown, making up for the two fumbles. Rohan Davey completed 19 of 29 passes for 212 yards with no TDs and one interception. Richard Alston and Ed Stansbury had five catches apiece, for 58 and 48 yards, respectively, and Chas Gessner led the Thunder with 80 yards on his two receptions.

For the Dragons, J.T. O’Sullivan was successful on 19 of 33 throws for 210 yards and three TDs while giving up two interceptions and being sacked four times. He also led the team in rushing with 44 yards on seven attempts. Derrick Lewis caught 9 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

The win gave Berlin a third NFL Europe Championship, joining Frankfurt for the most in the developmental league’s history up to that point, although the Galaxy would win a fourth in 2006.

Rohan Davey and Eric McCoo became reserves with the teams that reached the Super Bowl following the 2004 NFL season, although neither appeared in that contest. Davey was a backup to New England QB Tom Brady, throwing a total of 10 passes over the course of the year, while McCoo was active for one game with the Philadelphia Eagles and rushed for 54 yards on nine carries.

1992: Surge Edge Dragons in WLAF Playoff Game

The World League of American Football Semifinal playoff game in Sacramento on May 31, 1992 featured the Sacramento Surge, 8-2 winners of the North American West Division, and the Barcelona Dragons, who went 5-5 in placing first in the European Division.

The Surge were coached by Kay Stephenson and featured the WLAF’s Offensive Player of the Year in QB David Archer, a 30-year-old NFL journeyman.  RB Mike Pringle, who had been on Atlanta’s practice squad and would go on to a Hall of Fame career in Canada, and WR Eddie Brown from the CFL were the other key offensive stars. Future Seattle Seahawks star DE Michael Sinclair recorded 10 sacks on defense.

Barcelona had made it to the WLAF Championship game, the World Bowl, in ’91 but, after starting strong in 1992, lost five straight games to close out the regular season, although it didn’t cost the Dragons their division title. Former Boston College coach Jack Bicknell was the team’s head coach while QB Scott Erney (pictured above) directed the offense and WR Thomas Woods was the top receiver.

There were 23,640 fans in attendance on a hot midafternoon at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium. The first quarter was scoreless, with Barcelona’s defense effectively shutting down Sacramento’s attack, but less than three minutes into the second quarter the Surge took the lead on a 12-yard interception return by CB Louis Riddick. Cary Blanchard added the extra point.

That was it until the closing seconds of the half when Teddy Garcia kicked a 35-yard field goal for Barcelona that made the halftime score 7-3 in favor of Sacramento.

Early in the third quarter the Surge scored again (and again not on offense) when Eddie Brown returned a punt 86 yards for a TD. Blanchard successfully converted. Down by 14-3, the Dragons began to mount a comeback that started with a big play of their own. Scott Erney completed a pass to WR Dempsey Norman for a 90-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed, but the Surge’s lead was narrowed to 14-9.

Late in the period, Erney threw another scoring pass, this time to TE Demetrius Davis from nine yards out. Again the attempt to add two points failed, but Barcelona now was ahead by 15-14.

Barcelona failed to add points when Garcia was wide on a 43-yard field goal try with 7:43 left to play. In response, the offensively-stymied Surge put together their best series of the game and Blanchard kicked a 46-yard field goal that just made it over the crossbar with 3:54 remaining on the clock.

The Dragons still had an opportunity to pull the game out, but an apparent 60-yard touchdown on a pass from Erney to Thomas Wood was nullified by an illegal motion penalty on Davis. Sacramento held on to win by a 17-15 score.

Barcelona significantly outgained the Surge, 341 yards to 82, had 18 first downs to Sacramento’s eight, and dominated time of possession by 40:17 to 19:43. Each team had a turnover, but the Dragons were hurt by nine penalties, at a cost of 75 yards, to four flags thrown on the Surge.

David Archer completed only 9 of 26 passes for 76 yards and gave up an interception. RB Tony Burse was Sacramento’s top receiver, hauling in four catches for 34 yards. Eddie Brown, the Surge’s most productive receiver during the regular season, failed to catch any passes although he had the long punt return for a score. Mike Pringle led the equally anemic running attack with 18 yards on 7 carries.

For the Dragons, Scott Erney was successful on 24 of 45 throws for 271 yards and two touchdowns, giving up one interception. He also rushed for 27 yards on five carries while RB Joe Mickles led the club with 43 yards on 10 attempts. Thomas Woods and WR Tony Moss each had 6 pass receptions, for 44 and 26 yards, respectively, while Dempsey Norman, thanks to the long scoring catch, gained 104 yards on his three receptions.

Sacramento advanced to the World Bowl and defeated the Orlando Thunder for the WLAF Championship. It was the end for the two-year-old franchise, as the developmental league went on hiatus and, when it returned in 1995, was a strictly European circuit. The Dragons were part of that revamped NFL Europe, appearing in three World Bowls and winning one of them, until folding following the 2003 season.

2000: Fire Edge Claymores in Low-Scoring World Bowl

The World Bowl, championship game of NFL Europe that was played on June 25, 2000, featured the Rhein Fire, winners of the title two years earlier, against the Scottish Claymores, champions in 1996 but coming off of two straight losing campaigns. The teams split their meetings during the regular season.

The Fire, coached by Galen Hall for the sixth year, had the developmental league’s second-rated passer in QB Danny Wuerffel, who topped the circuit with 25 touchdowns and 2042 yards while giving up just seven interceptions for a rating of 107.2. They finished at the top of the standings with a 7-3 record.

The Claymores went 6-4 under Head Coach Jim Criner, also in his sixth season at the helm. While they had the lesser record, they had RB Aaron Stecker (pictured above), the league’s MVP and leading rusher with 774 yards who also paced the team in pass receiving with 36 catches, and QB Kevin Daft had edged Wuerffel for the passing title with a 107.3 rating while tossing for 19 TDs against just three interceptions.

The game was held at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany with 35,860 fans in attendance. The Fire struck first on their initial possession of the game, driving 51 yards in 11 plays before finally being stopped at the four yard line. The series resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Manfred Burgsmuller. The Claymores responded in rapid fashion, taking just three plays to travel 75 yards. Aaron Stecker gained nine yards, Kevin Daft threw to H-back Willy Tate for 30, and then Stecker ran 36 yards for a touchdown. With Rob Hart’s extra point, Scotland held a 7-3 lead.

In the second quarter, the Claymores put together a 12-play, 52-yard series , and Hart’s field goal made it 10-3. Rhein came back with an eight-play possession that was also capped by a field goal, this one by Burgsmuller covering 23 yards. The score at halftime was 10-6.

The game settled into a defensive stalemate in the second half, with neither team scoring in the third quarter. The tough Claymore defense continued to hold, and when the Fire got the ball with 5:07 remaining on the clock, the situation appeared dire. However, Rhein then put together a 43-yard drive in eight plays that resulted in a one-yard TD carry by RB Pepe Pearson (pictured below). Burgsmuller added the extra point to give the Fire a three-point lead.

There was still time for the Claymores to come back, and Daft completed four passes as they drove into Rhein territory. But with eight seconds left, a 40-yard field goal attempt by Hart sailed wide to the left to clinch the 13-10 win for the Fire.

“It was a great feeling when I scored,” said Pepe Pearson of his game-winning touchdown. “Our offensive line did the job and I got it in the end zone.”

“I’m so proud of our team and our coaches,” said Galen Hall. “I thought it would come down to the last seconds, and it certainly did.”

QB Danny Wuerffel completed just 12 of 30 passes for 90 yards and no touchdowns while giving up two interceptions, but was sharp on the game-winning drive. For the Claymores, Aaron Stecker rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries that included a TD and Kevin Daft was successful on 16 of 29 throws for 177 yards and one interception.

Wuerffel, a former Heisman Trophy winner, was currently a free agent hoping to parlay his NFL Europe success into a NFL contract. He was signed by Green Bay, saw no action, and moved on to the Bears and Redskins, where he was reunited with his college coach, Steve Spurrier, and started four games in his last pro season.

Aaron Stecker, who had been loaned to the Claymores by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spent four seasons with the Bucs before moving on to New Orleans for five years and finishing up with the Falcons. A career backup in the NFL, he rushed for 1526 yards, gained another 1175 yards on 166 pass receptions, and averaged 23.1 yards on 170 kickoff returns.

With the win over the Claymores, Galen Hall became the first coach in the developmental league’s history to win two championships. Both head coaches departed for the short-lived XFL in 2001, Hall with the Orlando Rage and Jim Criner coaching the Las Vegas Outlaws.

Neither team qualified for the World Bowl in 2001. Rhein went 5-5 to finish third and the Claymores sank to 4-6 and fifth place. The Fire returned to first place in ’02 but lost the Championship game to Berlin. For the Claymores, the World Bowl appearance in 2000 was the team’s last. 

1992: Sacramento Defeats Orlando for WLAF Championship

The second season of the World League of American Football, the NFL’s Spring developmental league, concluded with the Sacramento Surge facing the Orlando Thunder in the World Bowl on June 6, 1992.

Sacramento, coached by Kay Stephenson, topped the North American West Division with an 8-2 record.  QB David Archer (pictured above), a veteran NFL backup, was the league’s top passer and WR Eddie Brown, a product of the CFL, topped the developmental circuit with 1011 yards on 48 catches, 12 of which were good for touchdowns. RB Mike Pringle, also from the CFL, was effective both running and catching the ball out of the backfield. The defense was anchored by DE Michael Sinclair, who recorded 10 sacks and would go on to become a Pro Bowl player for the Seahawks. The Surge edged Barcelona 17-15 in the first playoff round to advance to the World Bowl.

The Thunder were coached by Galen Hall and also went 8-2 in finishing first in the North American East Division. QB Scott Mitchell was on loan from the Miami Dolphins and showed his potential by passing for 2213 yards, which ranked second in the league. WR Joe Johnson was the best of the receivers, while Darryl Clack, a disappointment with the Dallas Cowboys who had gone to Canada, was the best of the ground gainers. Orlando thrashed the Birmingham Fire by a score of 45-7 to qualify for the World Bowl.

There were 43,759 fans in attendance for the Saturday night game at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Orlando took the early lead in the first quarter thanks to a 12-play, 98-yard drive that was helped along by penalties. Scott Mitchell capped the series with a 10-yard scoring pass to WR Chris Ford and Tracy Bennett added the extra point.

Cary Blanchard kicked a 32-yard field goal at 4:16 into the second quarter to get the Surge on the board, but the Thunder got a break when Eddie Brown fumbled a punt inside his ten yard line. Mitchell threw to WR Willie Davis along the sideline for an eight-yard TD and Bennett’s successful point after made the score 14-3.

With 54 seconds remaining in the half, Orlando’s Bennett added a 20-yard field goal to make it a 14-point margin, but the scoring wasn’t yet over when Archer threw to Brown for a 35-yard gain that set up a 24-yard Blanchard field goal with one second left on the clock. The tally stood at 17-6 in favor of Orlando at halftime.

The third quarter was scoreless and Sacramento was still down by 11 points entering the final period, but the Surge narrowed the gap. Less than three minutes into the fourth quarter, David Archer threw to TE Paul Green for a 12-yard touchdown and then tossed a pass to WR Mark Stock for a two-point conversion that made it a 17-14 contest.

The Surge had a chance to tie the score on their next possession, but Blanchard was wide on a 31-yard field goal attempt. However, Sacramento got the ball back on an interception of a Mitchell pass by LB Mike Jones, who returned it 12 yards to the Orlando 34. Archer tossed a screen pass to Mike Pringle that gained 31 yards to the three and three plays later, with 5:44 to play, Archer connected with Brown in the left corner of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown. Blanchard added the extra point, and that was it as the Surge held on for a 21-17 win and the Championship.

The Surge significantly outgained Orlando (402 yards to 203) and had more first downs (24 to 15). Sacramento also led in turnovers with four, however, to three suffered by the Thunder. Each team recorded two sacks.

David Archer completed 22 of 33 passes for 286 yards and the two fourth quarter touchdowns while giving up one interception. Mike Pringle rushed for 84 yards on 17 carries and caught two passes for 37 more yards. Eddie Brown topped the Sacramento receivers with 8 catches for 78 yards and included the game-winning TD.

For the Thunder, Scott Mitchell was successful on 18 of 41 throws for 187 yards, also with two TDs and one interception. Joe Johnson had 7 pass receptions for 79 yards. The running game was practically nonexistent, with a total of just 35 yards on 11 attempts, and the individual leader was Darryl Clack, who gained 20 yards on 8 carries.

The 1992 season marked the end for both Sacramento and Orlando as the league went on hiatus and, when it returned in ’95, it was based entirely in Europe. The CFL expanded to Sacramento and David Archer was that team’s quarterback. Mike Pringle also played for the CFL’s Sacramento club for a year before moving on to Baltimore, Montreal, and Edmonton in what ended up being a Hall of Fame career. He led the league in rushing six times and finished as the CFL’s career ground-gaining leader with 16,424 yards. Eddie Brown also continued on in Canada, catching 532 passes for 8663 yards and 60 TDs with six teams (he also had a brief hiatus in the Arena Football League).

Scott Mitchell backed up Dan Marino in Miami for two seasons, performing well enough when starting in the place of the injured Marino in 1993 to gain a large free agent contract from the Lions. While he showed some flashes of ability, most notably in ’95 when he threw for 4338 yards and 32 TDs, his career ultimately failed to live up to that early promise.

1999: Dameyune Craig Passes for 611 Yards in NFL Europe Game

As a quarterback in the NFL, Dameyune Craig appeared in just six games over a period of four seasons after signing with the Carolina Panthers as a free agent out of Auburn. But on May 22, 1999 as a member of the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe, Craig compiled a passing yardage total that no NFL quarterback to date has approached.

Craig had been allocated to the developmental league by the Panthers for the 1999 spring season. The Claymores came into the game at 3-2 following a bad loss against the Rhein Fire in Dusseldorf the previous week. They were facing the Frankfurt Galaxy, who had beaten the Claymores in Edinburgh in overtime a few weeks earlier and were also 3-2.

There were 33,915 fans in attendance for the Saturday game at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt. The Galaxy opened the scoring four minutes into the contest when QB Pat Barnes connected with WR Mike McCullough for a 23-yard touchdown

The Scots came right back on a drive highlighted by Craig’s pass to FB Jamie Reader that picked up 52 yards. Craig threw to WR Donald Sellers for 14 yards and capped the series with a five-yard scoring pass to Sellers. The successful extra point made it 7-7.

Two plays later, safety Lee Wiggins got the ball back for the Claymores when he intercepted a pass by Barnes at midfield. Completions to RB Jesse Haynes and TE Shon Bell got the Scots deep into Frankfurt territory, but with fourth-and-goal at the one, Craig was unable to score on a quarterback sneak and the Claymores came up empty.

The Galaxy made the most of the reprieve in a possession highlighted by missed tackles and ending early in the second quarter with Barnes throwing to McCullough for a 43-yard TD. The Claymores didn’t take long to tie the game up again. Craig threw to WR Yo Murphy who charged down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown.

The Scots put together a seven-play scoring drive that featured long gains by Sellers and WR Kevin Drake and concluded with Craig tossing a 24-yard TD pass to Bell. The tally was 21-14 in favor of the Scottish club at the half.

The Claymores extended their lead early in the third quarter, once more in spectacular fashion as Craig threw to Sellers for a 44-yard touchdown. The Galaxy came alive on offense and drove into scoring territory, but DE Jermaine Benoit sacked new Frankfurt QB Jake Delhomme for an 11-yard loss and, on the next play, DB Denorse Mosley intercepted a pass in the corner of the end zone to extinguish the threat.

Craig, going for the big strike, immediately hit Sellers for a 71-yard gain, but the Claymores fumbled the ball away on the next play. However, Frankfurt wasn’t able to move offensively and, regaining possession, the Scots started the fourth quarter with a Craig pass to Sellers for 36 yards. Three plays later, Haynes ran for a one-yard TD and, with another successful PAT, the Claymores held a seemingly-comfortable 35-14 lead.

Frankfurt wasn’t finished, however, and with 13 minutes left on the clock commenced a comeback. The Galaxy scored on a five-yard touchdown pass from Delhomme to McCullough. Shortly thereafter, Craig fumbled and safety Jamaal Alexander recovered for the home team. Two plays later, Delhomme hit WR Todd Floyd for a seven-yard TD and, with another successful extra point by Ralph Kleimann, the Claymores led by just 35-28.

Again the Scots came through with a big play as Craig connected with Sellers for a 39-yard touchdown. It was 42-28 with three minutes remaining, but the Galaxy proved to be resilient. Frankfurt put together a 77-yard drive in eight plays that concluded with Delhomme throwing to Bailey for a six-yard TD. It was once again a one-touchdown game.

The Galaxy kept it interesting with a successful onside kick that was recovered by LB Jimmy Clements. With 1:24 still on the clock, Frankfurt had the ball at its own 42 yard line. However, four plays later CB Joey Eloms intercepted a Delhomme pass in the end zone to finally nail down the 42-35 win for the Claymores.

Many league records fell in the 77-point contest, including most combined yards (1073). Dameyune Craig completed 27 of 37 passes for 611 yards and five touchdowns – the yardage total was not only a NFL Europe record but surpassed the existing NFL record by 57 yards. Donald Sellers, allocated by the Rams, set a league receiving yardage record with 264 yards on 9 catches that included three touchdowns.  Yo Murphy added 8 pass receptions for 149 yards and a TD and Shon Bell had 5 catches for 96 yards.

“We had no idea that we had chalked up so many yards,” said Claymores Head Coach Jim Criner. “During the course of a ball game all you are really worried about is the score. It was nice to have that kind of productivity and it’s nice to know our players are capable of it.”

“I may have had some big numbers but I also had two turnovers that could have cost us the game,” said Craig, who was self-critical despite his big performance. “You have to look for perfection with regards to the overall game plan and I could have done better. As far as the passing, I think I played pretty close to perfection although I did turn the ball over twice which could have hurt the team.”

Craig’s jersey was sent off to Canton for display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He went on to complete 198 of 339 passes (58.4 %) for 2932 yards and 21 touchdowns with 12 interceptions for a 92.7 passer rating. It proved to be the high water mark of his pro football career – he retired to coaching after a year playing arena football in 2002. Ironically, it was Frankfurt’s Delhomme, allocated to NFL Europe by the Saints in ’99, who went on to a career as the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers from 2003 to ‘09.

Donald Sellers and Yo Murphy were the top two receivers over the course of the season, just as they had been against Frankfurt. Sellers caught 58 passes for 931 yards (16.1 avg.) and seven touchdowns and Murphy had 45 receptions for 752 yards (16.7 avg.) and four TDs.

The big win over the Galaxy ended up being the high point of the season for the Claymores. They lost their remaining games and finished in fifth place at 4-6. Frankfurt recovered to place second in the league at 6-4 and went on to defeat Barcelona for the league title. 

2002: Berlin Defeats Rhein for 2nd Consecutive NFL Europe Title

The Berlin Thunder, defending champions of NFL Europe, finished in second place with a 6-4 record in 2002. It was good enough to send them to World Bowl X against the Rhein Fire on June 22 at the Rheinstadion in Dusseldorf, Germany. The Fire had compiled a 7-3 record and had swept the season series against Berlin.

The Thunder was coached by Peter Vaas, who was in his third year with the club. QB Todd Husak led the league in passing yardage (2386) but also in interceptions (14). WR Dane Looker (pictured above), on loan from the NFL’s Rams, was the top receiver with 54 catches. RB Anthony White ranked fifth in rushing (525 yards) and third in pass receiving (38 catches). Center Ben Hamilton was an All-League performer on the offensive line, while LB Jude Waddy received recognition on defense.

Rhein was led by second-year Head Coach Pete Kuharchek and featured the third leading rusher in NFL Europe, Jamal Robertson (792 yards), who was also an All-NFL Europe selection. Other All-League players included G Al Jackson, OT Patrick Venzke, DT Brandon Miller, CB Earthwind Moreland, safety Deke Cooper, and linebackers Tim Johnson and Maugaula Tuitele.

The game, attended by 53,109 fans in what was the last event held at the 77-year-old Rheinstadion, got off to a bad start for the Fire as QB Tee Martin was intercepted by S Ontei Williams near midfield on the second play from scrimmage. The turnover resulted in a 47-yard field goal by Berlin’s Danny Boyd.


Rhein went three-and-out on its next possession and the Thunder responded with a 41-yard touchdown pass play from Husak to Looker for a 10-0 lead. Again, Martin was intercepted, this time by LB Keith Adams, who returned the pickoff to the Rhein 10 yard line. Berlin was unable to get into the end zone with three incomplete passes, and settled for a 27-yard field goal by Axel Kruse to extend the lead to 13-0.

The Fire’s offense came alive in the second quarter as Martin completed a 31-yard pass to WR Jimmy Robinson. However, the drive stalled at the Thunder 41 and a faked punt on fourth-and-eleven, in which TE/QB Darnell Dinkins took off with the snap, came up a yard short. Later in the period Rhein again tried a fake punt, this time with punter Dirk Johnson running the ball. Again, they came up short, and in this instance Berlin capitalized with a 15-yard Husak TD pass to Looker in the corner of the end zone.

Martin drove Rhein down the field near the end of the half, completing five passes for 39 yards to move into field goal range at the Berlin 18. However, the 35-yard attempt by Jason Witczak was blocked and the score stood at 20-0 at halftime.

Rhein got an early break in the third quarter when CB Earthwind Moreland intercepted a pass by Husak near midfield, but the Fire was unable to capitalize, going three-and-out and punting. On the next possession, however, Rhein’s offense was able to move the ball as Martin hit Robinson on passes of 9 and 26 yards, setting up their first score of the game on a six-yard touchdown run by RB Tony Taylor.

Berlin responded with a 45-yard field goal for a 23-7 lead, but the Fire again came back strong as the game moved into the fourth quarter. Martin completed eight passes (four of them to Robinson) on a 65-yard scoring drive that was capped by a two-yard TD throw to WR Scott Cloman. The try for a two point conversion failed.

The Thunder scored once more on a drive that featured a 16-yard pass from Husak to Looker and a 15-yard penalty on Rhein’s Brandon Miller for a late hit. Boyd kicked his third field goal of the game from 38 yards to extend the margin to 26-13.

Jamal Robertson returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to give the Fire good field position, but a drive that took them deep into Berlin territory came to an end when a nine-yard run by Martin on fourth down came up a yard short. Still, Rhein got the ball back and scored on a one-yard run by Martin with 20 seconds left to play.

Deke Cooper recovered the ensuing onside kick for the Fire at the Thunder 40 yard line, but there was no miracle finish. Martin was sacked by Berlin DT Cleveland Pinckney and then threw one last desperation pass that fell incomplete. By a score of 26-20, the Thunder became the only team to win consecutive NFL Europe titles.


Dane Looker caught 11 passes for 111 yards and two TDs and was the game’s MVP. He went on to play seven seasons with the Rams, catching 112 passes. Todd Husak (pictured above left), who had led Stanford to the Rose Bowl, and Tee Martin (pictured at right), whose two years as starting quarterback at Tennessee (following Peyton Manning) included a national championship season in 1998, never saw more than limited backup duty in the NFL (Martin also played in the CFL).

1998: Rhein Defeats Frankfurt to Win NFL Europe Title in World Bowl VI

The 1998 NFL Europe season concluded with the two German teams, the Rhein Fire and the Frankfurt Galaxy, meeting for the developmental league’s championship in World Bowl VI on June 14 before 47,846 fans at Frankfurt’s Waldstadion.

Both teams had ended up with 7-3 records in the re-named circuit (prior to ’98 it had been known as the World League of American Football). The Fire, based in Dusseldorf and coached by Galen Hall, had the league’s leading rusher in RB Derrick Clark (739 yards) and WR Marcus Robinson topped NFL Europe with 811 receiving yards on 39 catches. QB Mike Quinn had the best passer rating (87.3) while throwing for 1997 yards with 13 TDs and just three interceptions. On defense they had the co-leader in sacks in DT Ed Philion.

Under first year Head Coach Dick Curl, Frankfurt had solid performances from QB Damon Huard, who passed for 1857 yards with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, and All-League WR Mario Bailey (38 receptions, 544 yards) and TE Vince Marrow (32 catches for 345 yards). LB Hillary Butler and safety Chris Hall were feature players on the defense.

The teams had split their meetings during the regular season, with Rhein dominating the first contest, 31-14, and Frankfurt taking the season finale in overtime, 20-17. However, both clubs were without their starting quarterbacks due to injury – the Fire would have to make due with Jim Arellanes, who had thrown just one pass during the season, in place of Quinn while the Galaxy had the slightly more experienced Chris Dittoe (64 pass attempts) going for Huard.

The game, which was mostly played in heavy rain, started off in spectacular fashion as Arellanes completed a 40-yard pass to Robinson on a flea-flicker play. The drive culminated in a 29-yard field goal by Manfred Burgsmuller. Later in the first quarter the Fire increased their lead to 10-0 as WR Dialleo Burks caught a 15-yard TD pass from Arellanes.

Frankfurt fought back on the ensuing possession with a drive that led to a three-yard touchdown run by RB Jermaine Chainey, cutting the Rhein lead to 10-7. But Arellanes again connected with Burks for a 20-yard TD and 17-7 halftime lead.

On the first possession of the third quarter, Frankfurt again trimmed the Fire’s margin with a 41-yard Ralf Kleinmann field goal. But three plays later Arellanes threw his third scoring pass of the day, this one for 74 yards to Robinson, and the game was essentially over. The defense shut down Frankfurt’s offense the rest of the way, and 10 fourth quarter points made the final score a convincing 34-10.

Jim Arellanes (pictured at top) was the game’s MVP, completing 12 of 18 passes for 263 yards with three touchdowns against no interceptions. Marcus Robinson (pictured below) caught just two passes, but they were big completions as he compiled 114 yards and a TD. TE Hayward Clay led the team with three catches, for 63 yards, while Dialleo Burks scored on his two catches of the game, which totaled 35 yards. RB Jon Vaughn was the leading rusher with 89 yards on 11 carries, including a 15-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter (Derrick Clark contributed 69 yards on 17 rushes).


In defeat, Chris Dittoe was successful on 15 of 27 pass attempts for 111 yards with no TDs and two interceptions. Jermaine Chaney was Frankfurt’s leading receiver with 6 catches for 35 yards (Mario Bailey was held to just 2 catches for 31 yards and Vince Marrow caught 3 passes for 27 yards) and was also the club’s best rusher with 84 yards on 19 attempts with the one TD.

On a day when conditions were not favorable to the aerial attack, Rhein outgained the Galaxy by 421 yards to 198. With Vaughn and Clark leading the way, the Fire outrushed Frankfurt 158 to 112. They also did substantially better in net passing yards (263 to 86) as they suffered no sacks while dumping Dittoe three times.

Jim Arellanes played for Rhein in 1999 and 2001, but never made it to the NFL (Mike Quinn, who was a backup with Pittsburgh in 1997, did, but threw a total of three NFL passes). Marcus Robinson went on to a nine-season NFL career with the Bears, Ravens, and Vikings in which he caught 325 passes.

Frankfurt became the first team to make it to the World Bowl three times (they split their previous two appearances) while Rhein won for the first time. Galen Hall, who had twice led teams to the WLAF/NFL Europe title game (Orlando in 1992, the Fire in ’97), came away a winner for the first time (he led Rhein to another championship in 2000).