1997 Rhein Fire season
The 1997 Rhein Fire season was the third season for the franchise in the World League of American Football (WLAF). The team was led by head coach Galen Hall in his third year, and played its home games at Rheinstadion in Düsseldorf, Germany. They finished the regular season in first place with a record of seven wins and three losses, marking the first winning season in franchise history. In World Bowl '97, Rhein lost to the Barcelona Dragons 38–24. Quarterback T. J. Rubley earned all-World League honors and was named the league's offensive most valuable player.
| 1997 Rhein Fire season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Galen Hall |
| General manager | Alexander Leibkind |
| Home field | Rheinstadion |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–3 |
| Division place | 1st |
| Playoff finish | Lost World Bowl '97 |
Offseason
World League draft
| Draft order | Player name | Position | College | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Choice | |||
| 1 | 1 | Israel Stanley | DE | Arizona State |
| 2 | 7 | Artis Houston | CB | California |
| 3 | 18 | Thomas Bailey | WR | Auburn |
| 4 | 19 | Scotty Lewis | DE | Baylor |
| 5 | 30 | David Merritt | LB | North Carolina State |
| 6 | 31 | John Anderson | S | Oklahoma |
| 7 | 42 | David Rhodes | WR | Central Florida |
| 8 | 43 | Pete Shufelt | LB | UTEP |
| 9 | 54 | Anthony Daigle | RB | Fresno State |
| 10 | 55 | Sean Foster | WR | Long Beach State |
| 11 | 66 | Chris Shelling | CB | Auburn |
| 12 | 67 | Ricky Powers | RB | Michigan |
| 13 | 78 | Kelly Wiltshire | CB | James Madison |
| 14 | 79 | Earl Mackey | LB | Southern |
| 15 | 90 | Mark Brook | LB | Wyoming |
| 16 | 91 | Don Robinson | CB | Kentucky |
| 17 | 102 | Will Brown | LB | Alabama |
| 18 | 103 | Kyle Richardson | P | Arkansas State |
| 19 | 114 | Chris Thomas | WR | Cal Poly |
| 20 | 115 | Jay Barry | RB | Washington |
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
| |||||
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends |
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
National players
| ||||||
Schedule
| Week | Date | Kickoff [n 1] | Opponent | Results | Game site | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | ||||||
| 1 | Saturday, April 12 | 7:00 p.m. | Barcelona Dragons | L 12–27 | 0–1 | Rheinstadion | 17,150 |
| 2 | Sunday, April 20 | 3:00 p.m. | London Monarchs | W 28–6 | 1–1 | Rheinstadion | 14,876 |
| 3 | Sunday, April 27 | 3:00 p.m. | at Scottish Claymores | W 23–10 | 2–1 | Murrayfield Stadium | 11,166 |
| 4 | Saturday, May 3 | 7:00 p.m. | at Amsterdam Admirals | L 20–23 | 2–2 | Amsterdam ArenA | 10,698 |
| 5 | Saturday, May 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Frankfurt Galaxy | W 10–7 | 3–2 | Rheinstadion | 32,140 |
| 6 | Saturday, May 17 | 7:00 p.m. | at Frankfurt Galaxy | W 21–20 | 4–2 | Waldstadion | 39,182 |
| 7 | Sunday, May 25 | 3:00 p.m. | Scottish Claymores | L 20–23 | 4–3 | Rheinstadion | 20,498 |
| 8 | Saturday, May 31 | 7:30 p.m. | at Barcelona Dragons | W 38–23 | 5–3 | Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc | 13,670 |
| 9 | Saturday, June 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Amsterdam Admirals | W 24–0 | 6–3 | Rheinstadion | 23,697 |
| 10 | Sunday, June 15 | 3:00 p.m. | at London Monarchs | W 10–7 | 7–3 | Stamford Bridge | 10,462 |
| World Bowl '97 | |||||||
| 11 | Sunday, June 22 | 7:00 p.m. | Barcelona Dragons | L 24–38 | 7–4 | Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc | 31,100 |
Standings
| World League of American Football | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Home | Road | STK |
| Rhein Fire | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 206 | 146 | 3–2 | 4–1 | W3 |
| Barcelona Dragons | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 236 | 209 | 2–3 | 3–2 | W1 |
| Scottish Claymores | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 134 | 154 | 2–3 | 3–2 | L2 |
| Amsterdam Admirals | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 156 | 160 | 4–1 | 1–4 | W1 |
| Frankfurt Galaxy | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 147 | 142 | 3–2 | 1–4 | L1 |
| London Monarchs | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 116 | 184 | 2–3 | 2–3 | L1 |
Game summaries
Week 1: vs Barcelona Dragons
Week One: Barcelona Dragons at Rhein Fire – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 7 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 27 |
| Rhein | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
at Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany
Week 2: vs London Monarchs
Week Two: London Monarchs at Rhein Fire – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Rhein | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
at Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Date: Sunday, April 20
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 14,876
- [4]
Week 3: at Scottish Claymores
Week Three: Rhein Fire at Scottish Claymores – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhein | 13 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Scotland | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Date: Sunday, April 27
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. BST
- Game attendance: 11,166
Week 4: at Amsterdam Admirals
Week Four: Rhein Fire at Amsterdam Admirals – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhein | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| Amsterdam | 10 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
at Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Date: Saturday, May 3
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 10,698
- [5]
Week 5: vs Frankfurt Galaxy
Week Five: Frankfurt Galaxy at Rhein Fire – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Rhein | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
at Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Date: Saturday, May 10
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 32,140
- Referee: Phil Luckett
- [6]
Week 6: at Frankfurt Galaxy
Week Six: Rhein Fire at Frankfurt Galaxy – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhein | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| Frankfurt | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany
- Date: Saturday, May 17
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 39,182
- [7]
Week 7: vs Scottish Claymores
Week Seven: Scottish Claymores at Rhein Fire – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 7 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 23 |
| Rhein | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
at Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Date: Sunday, May 25
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 20,498
Week 8: at Barcelona Dragons
Week Eight: Rhein Fire at Barcelona Dragons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhein | 7 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
| Barcelona | 0 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 23 |
at Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain
- Date: Saturday, May 31
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 13,670
Week 9: vs Amsterdam Admirals
Week Nine: Amsterdam Admirals at Rhein Fire – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rhein | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Date: Saturday, June 7
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 23,697
Week 10: at London Monarchs
Week Ten: Rhein Fire at London Monarchs – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhein | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| London | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Stamford Bridge, London, England
- Date: Sunday, June 15
- Game time: 3:00 p.m. BST
- Game attendance: 10,462
- Referee: Phil Luckett
- [8]
World Bowl '97
World Bowl '97: Rhein Fire vs Barcelona Dragons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhein | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
| Barcelona | 14 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
at Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain
- Date: Sunday, June 22
- Game time: 7:00 p.m. CEST
- Game attendance: 31,100
- Referee: Phil Luckett
- [2]
Awards
After the completion of the regular season, the All-World League team was selected by members of the media.[9] Overall, Rhein had six players selected.[9] The selections were:
- T. J. Rubley, quarterback
- Bill Schroeder, wide receiver
- Ethan Brooks, offensive tackle
- Mike Sheldon, guard
- Bob Kronenberg, center
- Spencer Folau, offensive tackle
Additionally, Rubley was selected offensive MVP by the six World League head coaches.[10] Galen Hall earned Coach of the Year honors.[9]
Notes
- All times local to where the game was played.
References
- "1997 World League draft". WorldLeague.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 1997. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
- "1997 Season in Review". The Official 1998 NFL Europe League Fact Book. pp. 218–222.
- "Dragons 27, Fire 12". European Stars and Stripes. Darmstadt, Germany. April 14, 1997. p. 27. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- Associated Press (April 20, 1997). "Fire 28, Monarchs 6". APNewsArchive.com. Associated Press. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
- Associated Press (May 3, 1997). "Admirals 23, Fire 20". APNewsArchive.com. Associated Press. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
- Associated Press (May 10, 1997). "Fire 10, Galaxy 7". APNewsArchive.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- Associated Press (May 17, 1997). "Fire 21, Galaxy 20". APNewsArchive.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- Associated Press (June 15, 1997). "Fire 10, Monarchs 7". APNewsArchive.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- "1997 All-World League team". WorldLeague.com. June 20, 1997. Archived from the original on July 9, 1997. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
- "Rubley and Simmons Honored". The New York Times. Manhattan, New York. June 21, 1997. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
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