The
Rhein Fire was a professional
American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team in
NFL EuropeNFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, formerly the
World League of American FootballThe World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
. Established in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1995, the franchise resurrected the name of the former
Birmingham FireThe Birmingham Fire was a professional American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama that played in the World League of American Football in 1991 and 1992. The team played at Legion Field, and it made the playoffs in both seasons....
team which was active during the 1991-1992 WLAF seasons.
History
The team was based in
DüsseldorfDüsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
(and early on was occasionally referred to in the U.S. as the
Düsseldorf Fire), playing its games in
LTU arenaEsprit Arena is a multi-functional football stadium in Düsseldorf, Germany. The stadium holds 54,600 and has a closable roof. The special heating system allows comfortable events at the height of winter.- History :...
since 2005 season. Prior to this the team played in
Arena AufSchalkeVeltins-Arena is a football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It opened in 2001, as the new home ground for German Bundesliga club Schalke 04....
in nearby city
GelsenkirchenGelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
while LTU arena was being built. The team shared facilities with the
football (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club
Fortuna Düsseldorf' is a German association football club based in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, currently playing in the second tier of German league football, the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga...
. The Fire also hosted the
2005 World BowlWorld Bowl XII was NFL Europe's 2004 championship game. The game was played at Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on June 12, 2004. In this game, the defending champion Frankfurt Galaxy returned to try to protect their title after going through a 7–3 regular season. Their opponent was...
, where the
Amsterdam AdmiralsThe Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
upset the then-defending champion
Berlin ThunderThe Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
.
The Fire had been one of NFL Europa's most successful teams as far as fan appeal and competitively on the field. The team is based in an area of Germany that does not have a local
BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
team and where American Football has become increasingly popular. The team itself has played for five
World BowlThe World Bowl was the American football Championship game of NFL Europe, similar to the Super Bowl of the National Football League.The World Bowl trophy itself was a globe made of glass measuring 35.5 cm in diameter and weighing 18.6 kg .-World League of American Football:When NFL Europe was...
championships throughout its history, winning in
1998World Bowl '98 was NFL Europe's 1998 championship game, located at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany. On June 14, 1998, the 7-3 Rhein Fire went up against the 7-3 Frankfurt Galaxy for the NFL Europe title...
(over the
Frankfurt GalaxyThe Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
) and
2000World Bowl 2000 was NFL Europe's championship game, which would bring an end to the 2000 NFL Europe season. Played at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany on June 25, 2000, the match-up was between the 6-4 Scottish Claymores and the 7-3 Rhein Fire...
(over the
Scottish ClaymoresThe Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
).
Season-by-season
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" |
Rhein Fire (World League)
|-
|1995 || 4 || 6 || 0 || 5th League || --
|-
|1996 || 3 || 7 || 0 || 6th League || --
|-
|1997 || 7 || 3 || 0 || 1st League || Lost
World Bowl VWorld Bowl '97 was NFL Europe's 1997 championship game. The game was played at Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic in Barcelona, Spain on June 22, 1997. This World Bowl was played between the 7-3 Rhein Fire and the 5-5 Barcelona Dragons. 31,100 fans were in attendance as the Dragons won their first and...
(
DragonsThe Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
)
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" |
Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)
|-
|1998 || 7 || 3 || 0 || 1st League || Won
World Bowl VIWorld Bowl '98 was NFL Europe's 1998 championship game, located at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany. On June 14, 1998, the 7-3 Rhein Fire went up against the 7-3 Frankfurt Galaxy for the NFL Europe title...
(
GalaxyThe Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
)
|-
|1999 || 6 || 4 || 0 || 3rd League || --
|-
|2000 || 7 || 3 || 0 || 1st League || Won
World Bowl VIIIWorld Bowl 2000 was NFL Europe's championship game, which would bring an end to the 2000 NFL Europe season. Played at Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany on June 25, 2000, the match-up was between the 6-4 Scottish Claymores and the 7-3 Rhein Fire...
(
ClaymoresThe Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
)
|-
|2001 || 5 || 5 || 0 || 3rd League || --
|-
|2002 || 7 || 3 || 0 || 1st League || Lost
World Bowl XWorld Bowl X was NFL Europe's 2002 championship game. The game was played at Rheinstadion in Düsseldorf, Germany on June 22, 2002. It would be the final event held at Rheinstadion before its demolition....
(
ThunderThe Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe, which was a springtime American football league serving primarily as a developmental league for the National Football League. Most of the players were young American professional players assigned by NFL teams to receive...
)
|-
|2003 || 6 || 4 || 0 || 2nd League || Lost
World Bowl XIWorld Bowl XI was NFL Europe's 2003 championship game. It was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland on June 14, 2003. The game was between the 6-4 Rhein Fire and the 6-4 Frankfurt Galaxy. The Fire was hoping to avenge last year's loss to Berlin, while the Galaxy was looking for their first...
(
GalaxyThe Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
)
|-
|2004 || 3 || 7 || 0 || 5th League || --
|-
|2005 || 3 || 7 || 0 || 6th League || --
|-
|2006 || 6 || 4 || 0 || 3rd League ||--
|-
| colspan="6" align="center" |
Rhein Fire (NFL Europa)
|-
|2007 || 4 || 6 || 0 || 4th League || --
|-
!Totals || 70 || 65 || 0
|colspan="2"| (including playoffs)
Head coaches
| # |
Name |
Term |
Regular season |
Postseason |
Achievements |
Reference |
| GC |
W |
L |
T |
Win% |
GC |
W |
L |
Win% |
| Rhein Fire |
| 1 |
Galen Hall Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
|
1995 The 1995 Rhein Fire season was the inaugural season for the team in the World League of American Football.-World League Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Week 1: at Scottish Claymores:-Week 2: vs London Monarchs:-Week 3: at Barcelona Dragons:...
–2000The 2000 Rhein Fire season was the sixth season for the team in the NFL Europe League.-Free Agent Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-World Bowl 2000:...
|
60 |
34 |
26 |
0 |
.567 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
.667 |
|
|
| 2 |
Pete Kuharchek Pete Kuharchek is an American football coach and currently the Defensive Backs coach of the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.-External links:*...
|
2001 The 2001 Rhein Fire season was the seventh season for the team in the NFL Europe League.-Free Agent Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:...
–2005The 2005 Rhein Fire season was the 11th season for the team in the NFL Europe League. The Fire was led by fifth-year head coach Pete Kuharchek and played its home games at the newly build LTU arena in Düsseldorf, Germany. Rhein finished the season in sixth place with a record of 3–7.-Free Agent...
|
50 |
24 |
26 |
0 |
.480 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
.000 |
|
|
| 3 |
Jim Tomsula Jim Tomsula is an American football coach. He was the interim head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League.-Coaching career:...
|
2006 The 2006 Rhein Fire season was the 12th season for the team in the NFL Europe League.-Free Agent Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: vs Frankfurt Galaxy:-Week 2: at Berlin Thunder:-Week 3: at Cologne Centurions:...
|
10 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
.600 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
| 4 |
Rick Lantz Rick Lantz was the interim head football coach at Navy in 2000, following the firing of former head coach Charlie Weatherbie. He was formerly a widely recognized defensive coordinator, and held high profile jobs at Virginia, and Louisville...
|
2007 The 2007 Rhein Fire season was the 13th and final season for the team in the NFL Europa League.-Free Agent Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Honors:*Danny Baugher, All-NFL Europa League team selection...
|
10 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
.400 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
|
Notable players
Richard AdjeiRichard Adjei is a German bobsledder who has competed since 2007 and former American football linebacker.-Biography:...
(2004–2007)
Ingo AnderbrüggeIngo Anderbrügge is a retired German footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder.-Football career:...
(2003–2004) Cedric Bonner (2006–2007)
Manfred BurgsmüllerManfred "Manni" Burgsmüller is a retired German footballer who played mainly as a striker – he could occasionally operate as a midfielder....
(1996–2002)
Byron ChamberlainByron Daniel Chamberlain is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins...
(1996)
Derrick ClarkDerrick Lee Clark is a former professional American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos, Rhein Fire and Orlando Rage.-1994:...
(1996–1999)
Mike CroelMichael Croel is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League and the XFL.-Career:...
(1998)
Patrick GerigkPatrick Gerigk is a football wide receiver from Germany. He played for several World Bowl-winning teams, such as the Rhein Fire and the Frankfurt Galaxy . He stands 183 cm tall and weighs 90 kg....
(1998) James Harrison (2004)
Drew HensonDrew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
(2006)
Andy KellyAndy Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the Arena Football League. He played in the AFL for fifteen seasons. He also played for two seasons for the Rhein Fire of the former World League of American Football....
(1996) Fred Jackson (2006)
Michael LewisMichael Kendall Lewis is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently the team ambassador of the New Orleans Saints. He was signed by the Louisiana Bayou Beast in 1998...
(2001)
Mike QuinnMichael Patrick Quinn is a former professional gridiron football quarterback. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and was also a member of the Rhein Fire, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Montreal Alouettes...
(1998) Marcus Robinson (1998)
Jamal RobertsonJamal Robertson is an Canadian football running back and kick returner in the Canadian Football League who plays for the BC Lions. He was originally signed by the Calgary Stampeders as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Ohio Northern. Jamal was one of the greatest...
(2002)
Bill SchroederWilliam Fredrich Schroeder is a former American football wide receiver in the NFL. He attended Sheboygan South High School and then went on to the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he starred in track and field. He last played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004...
(1997)
Gino TorrettaGino Louis Torretta is a Heisman Trophy winner who played quarterback for several teams in the National Football League from 1993 to 1997....
(1995)
Danny WuerffelDaniel Carl "Danny" Wuerffel is a former American college and professional football player who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy and the 1996 national football championship while playing college football for the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, he played for four National Football...
(2000)
Eduardo CastañedaEduardo Castañeda is a Mexican linebacker in American football, who is currently a member of the Green Bay Blizzard. He was assigned to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa in 2007. He played college football at Monterrey Tech.Castañeda has also been a member for the Houston Texans and Arizona...
(2007)
Other notable personnel
- Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
- General Manager 1995, became league president the following year.
- Ken Karcher
Ken Karcher is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern Michigan University...
- Assistant coach for the Fire, was previously an NFL replacement player and later became a collegiate head coach.