Will there soon be a Super Bowl with Austrian participation? Not that unrealistic at all.
What an American spectacle that was again in the night from Sunday (February 13) to Monday. The 56th edition of the Super Bowl, the final of the National Football League (NFL), was marked by an exciting match between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. Los Angeles won the title in their own stadium with a 23:20 victory. But the halftime show by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem & Co. caused one or the other excitement. We have already reported about this.
While the Los Angeles Rams will be partying for the next few weeks, the rest of the football world is already looking forward to next season. An Austrian of all people could play an exciting role there. With a fighting weight of 138 kilograms from Steinbrunn in Burgenland: Bernhard Raimann.
Austrians in the NFL: is Bernhard Raimann making history?
The next important date on the NFL calendar after the Super Bowl is the NFL draft in April. There, the 32 professional teams select the best young talents. Someone who has a very good chance of being picked by an NFL team this year is Bernhard Raimann from Burgenland. He could be the first Austrian in a long, long time to play a competitive game in the best American football league in the world. Raimann would also be the first Austrian ever to make it into the NFL via the draft.
With Toni Fritsch, Toni Linhart and Ray Wersching, three native Austrians have made it into the professional league. But it’s also 35 years since Wersching last hung up his NFL sneakers. In recent years, two other Austrians, Sandro Platzgummer and Bernhard Seikovits, have received an NFL contract through an international talent program. In the end, however, it was only enough for the two for preparatory games. Leonel Misangumukini could expect a similar fate at the NFL’s International Pathway Program. Things are a bit different with Bernhard Raimann.
–Bernhard Raimann: From the Vienna Vikings to college stars
Born in 1997 in the Steinbrunn community of 2,900 in Burgenland, Bernhard Raimann fell in love with American football as a teenager. At the age of 14 he started with the Vienna Vikings, one of the best teams in Austria. This was followed by short stays in the USA at a high school and also assignments for the Austrian U19 national team. After Raimann had suspended the entire 2017 season due to his basic military service, he made the final leap to the USA the following year.
Raimann played for the Central Michigan Chippewas at Central Michigan University from 2018. While he mainly acted as a pass catcher in his first two years in the USA in the tight end position, the Austrian switched to the offensive tackle position in 2020. In this role, Raimann’s particular task is to protect his quarterback, the playmaker, from opposing defenders. In order to be able to stand up to his opponents, the 2.01 meter tall Burgenlander gained more than 20 kilograms in body weight.
Over the next two years, Raimann received several awards for his role. American football website Pro Football Focus named him the best offensive player in the Mid-American Conference for 2021. So it was only a matter of time before the now 24-year-old decided to offer himself for the NFL draft. The time had come to become a full pro. And thus possibly writing Austrian sports history.
–“He’s a full professional”: Raimann has a good chance
Signing up for the NFL draft is one thing. But actually being chosen by one of the 32 teams and being offered a professional contract is another. Bernhard Raimann’s chances are better than for any Austrian before. In the NFL draft, 32 young players are selected in seven rounds. In addition, other talents can be signed on the last of the three draft days.
As things currently stand, Raimann could even be selected on the very first day, where only the top 32 players leave the table. At least that’s how most college football pundits see it. The highly respected US sports journalist Daniel Jeremiah currently has the Austrian in 17th place in his forecast. His former college athletics coach Joel Welsh was similarly convinced of Raimann: “He is a rarity, self-motivated and independent. He is a consummate professional.”
Bernhard Raimann has to wait a few more weeks before he can most likely call himself an NFL professional. And who knows, maybe we’ll see a Super Bowl full of sporting excitement and the usual excitement at the halftime show. Only this time with an Austrian in the middle of the action.
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