Less than a month before the Ravensburg Razorbacks’ first GFL1 game against runner-up Schwäbisch Hall Unicorn, coach Sebastian Fandert and Ryan Smith can welcome a top transfer in Ravensburg.
Early in his football career, Smith played tight end and wide receiver for the Miami RedHawks in Oxford Ohio. Among other things, he was named “Offensive Power Player of the Year” in 2017. This talent was also recognized in 2018 by the Green Bay Packers, who signed Smith as an Undrafted Free Agent for their NFL team. After a successful preparation and participation in several preparatory games, Smith fell victim to the final cut before the start of the season. Because of his rugby past while at Fenwick High School, Smith joined Old Glory DC in 2020 and played rugby in the top North American league.
With the clear goal of playing American football at the top level again in 2021, the 25-year-old switched to the Worclaw Panthers, a team in the newly founded European League of Football in Wroclaw, Poland. There he was announced as a key player just a few weeks ago, but at the moment he was only offered the role of offensive assistant coach.
“We had almost completed our squad planning. We are all the more pleased that with Ryan we were able to win an unplanned, but very high-quality reinforcement for our offense at short notice, who will bring even more flexibility to our entire team, ”says sporting director Oliver Billstein. The fact that the Razorbacks were able to strike so shortly before the start of the season is also thanks to their new partner PKS Software, who made the transfer possible. “Without this support, we would unfortunately have had to cancel Ryan, since the budget planning for 2021 was already completed and the corona pandemic does not allow any major leaps. It is all the better that, thanks to our partners, we can also find solutions at short notice, ”says Marketing Manager Ronny Rühlemann enthusiastically.
Since Smith was already in Europe, an arrival could be made possible at very short notice. The newcomer is now in the quarantine and will join the team as soon as possible. “Coaching at the Wroclaw Panther was a good opportunity for me, but I’ve always looked for a way to play the game I love so much myself. The Razorbacks gave me this opportunity. I’m so grateful to the management and the coaches for giving me the chance to play in the best league in Europe at such short notice, ”said Smith, pleased about his last-minute move.
–
