Fabian Weitz
{{short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1998)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
|name=Fabian Weitz
|team=Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|image=2024, 50, Fabian Weitz.jpg
|image_upright=1
|caption=Weitz with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2024
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1998|2|6}}
|birth_place=Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
|position1=Linebacker
|college=Buffalo
|high_school=
|status=Active
|import=Global
|number=50
|Height_ft=5
|Height_in=11
|Weight_lbs=228
|CFLDraftedYear=2024G
|CFLDraftedRound=1
|CFLDraftedPick=8
|CFLDraftedTeam=Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|playing_years1={{ELF Year|2023}}
|playing_team1=Cologne Centurions
|playing_years2={{CFL Year|2024}}–present
|playing_team2=Winnipeg Blue Bombers
|career_footnotes=
|CFLAllStar=
|CFLEastAllStar=
|career_highlights=
|Awards=
|Honours=
|Records=
|CFL=fabian-weitz/168757/
}}
Fabian Weitz (born February 6, 1998) is a German professional football linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Youth career
Weitz spent his youth career playing in the youth departments of the Cologne Falcons and the Cologne Crocodiles.{{cite news|url=https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/american-football-dieser-koelner-traeumt-von-der-nfl-755075|title=Dieser Kölner träumt von einer NFL-Karriere|date=March 12, 2024|agency=Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger|language=de|author=Seher, Christoph|accessdate=January 20, 2025|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250120201633/https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/american-football-dieser-koelner-traeumt-von-der-nfl-755075|archivedate=January 20, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://footbowl.eu/fabian-wetz-wechselt-nach-koeln/|title=Fabian Wetz wechselt nach Köln|date=July 18, 2023|agency=footbowl.eu|language=de|accessdate=January 20, 2025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924195929/https://footbowl.eu/fabian-wetz-wechselt-nach-koeln/|archivedate=September 24, 2023}}
College career
Weitz played college football for the Buffalo Bulls from 2018 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022, including a redshirt season in 2018.{{cite news|url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/sports/2018/09/06/fabian-weitz-leaves-germany-to-chase-football-dream-at-ub|title=Fabian Weitz Leaves Germany to chase football dream at UB|date=September 6, 2018|agency=Spectrum News 1 Buffalo|author=Goldberg, Ted|accessdate=January 9, 2025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109074401/https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/sports/2018/09/06/fabian-weitz-leaves-germany-to-chase-football-dream-at-ub|archivedate=January 9, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/american-football-buffalo-bills-testen-koelner-linebacker-fabian-weitz-773133|title=NFL-Traum lebt: Buffalo Bills testen Kölner Linebacker Fabian Weitz|date=April 10, 2024|agency=Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger|language=de|author=Seher, Christoph|accessdate=January 20, 2025|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250120201614/https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/american-football-buffalo-bills-testen-koelner-linebacker-fabian-weitz-773133|archivedate=January 20, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.ubbullrun.com/2022/7/16/23203480/bulls-preseason-profile-fabian-weitz|title=Bulls Preseason Profile Fabian Weitz|date=July 16, 2022|agency=Bull Run|author=Riordan, Tim|accessdate=January 20, 2025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524102917/https://www.ubbullrun.com/2022/7/16/23203480/bulls-preseason-profile-fabian-weitz|archivedate=May 24, 2024}} He played in 22 games over four seasons with the team where he had 12 total tackles.{{cite news|url=https://ubbulls.com/sports/football/roster/fabian-weitz/6335 |title=Fabian Weitz |publisher=Buffalo Bulls |access-date=January 5, 2025}}
Professional career
=Cologne Centurions=
On July 18, 2023, Weitz signed with his hometown team, the Cologne Centurions.{{cite news|url=https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/cologne-centurions-fahren-mit-drei-neuzugaengen-zum-rheinischen-derby-614521|title=Cologne Centurions mit drei Neuzugängen zum rheinischen Derby|date=July 22, 2023|agency=Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger|language=de|author=Seher, Christoph|accessdate=January 20, 2025|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250120201711/https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/cologne-centurions-fahren-mit-drei-neuzugaengen-zum-rheinischen-derby-614521|archivedate=January 20, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://europeanleague.football/news/cologne-centurions-sign-division-i-homegrown-fabian-weitz-1347|title=Cologne Centurions sign Division I homegrown Fabian Weitz|date=July 18, 2023|publisher=European League of Football|author=Krauss, Dominik|accessdate=January 9, 2025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109073759/https://europeanleague.football/news/cologne-centurions-sign-division-i-homegrown-fabian-weitz-1347|archivedate=January 9, 2025}} In the 2023 season, he played in five games where he had 20 tackles and a fumble recovery.{{cite web|url=https://www.bluebombers.com/players/fabian-weitz/168757/ |title=Fabian Weitz |publisher=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |access-date=January 5, 2025}}
=Winnipeg Blue Bombers=
Weitz was drafted in the first round, eighth overall by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2024 CFL global draft{{cite news|url=https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/koelner-linebacker-florian-weitz-wechselt-nach-kanada-zu-den-winnipeg-blue-bombers-785905|title=Kölner Linebacker Fabian Weitz wechselt nach Kanada zu den Winnipeg Blue Bombers|date=May 1, 2024|agency=Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger|language=de|author=Seher, Christoph|accessdate=January 20, 2025|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250120201554/https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/koelner-linebacker-florian-weitz-wechselt-nach-kanada-zu-den-winnipeg-blue-bombers-785905|archivedate=January 20, 2025}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hustlebelt.com/2024/4/30/24145398/former-buffalo-lb-fabian-weitz-selected-eighth-overall-by-winnipeg-in-2024-cfl-global-draft|title=Former Buffalo LB Fabian Weitz selected eighth overall by Winnipeg in 2024 CFL Global Draft|date=April 30, 2024|agency=Hustle Belt|author=Jimenez, James H.|accessdate=January 9, 2025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109074341/https://www.hustlebelt.com/2024/4/30/24145398/former-buffalo-lb-fabian-weitz-selected-eighth-overall-by-winnipeg-in-2024-cfl-global-draft|archivedate=January 9, 2025}} and signed with the team on May 8, 2024.{{cite news|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2024/05/08/bombers-add-eight-players-including-global-lb-fabian-weitz/|title=Bombers add eight players, including Global LB Fabian Weitz|date=May 8, 2024|publisher=Canadian Football League|accessdate=January 9, 2025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109074044/https://www.cfl.ca/2024/05/08/bombers-add-eight-players-including-global-lb-fabian-weitz/|archivedate=January 9, 2025}} Following training camp in 2024, he accepted a practice roster spot with the team.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/cfl-linebackers-lucky-ogbevoen-austria-and-fabian-weitz-germany-make-the-cut-with-the-winnipeg-blue-bombers/|title=CFL: Linebackers Lucky Ogbevoen (Austria) and Fabian Weitz (Germany) make the cut with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers|date=June 4, 2024|agency=American Football International|accessdate=January 9, 2025|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250109074405/https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/cfl-linebackers-lucky-ogbevoen-austria-and-fabian-weitz-germany-make-the-cut-with-the-winnipeg-blue-bombers/|archivedate=January 9, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024-GN-Gm-95-Wpg-vs-Tor-GC111-1.pdf |title=111th Grey Cup notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=January 5, 2025}} Weitz then made his CFL debut on August 23, 2024, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played in seven regular season games where he had one special teams tackle. He did not play in the West Final, but he made his post-season debut in the 111th Grey Cup where the Blue Bombers lost to the Toronto Argonauts.{{cite news|url=https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/football-koelns-fabian-weitz-spielt-mit-winnipeg-blue-bombers-um-kanadischen-titel-898533|title=Kölns Fabian Weitz spielt mit Winnipeg Blue Bombers um kanadischen Titel|date=November 14, 2024|agency=Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger|language=de|author=Seher, Christoph|accessdate=January 20, 2025|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20250120180002/https://www.ksta.de/sport/koelner-sport/football-koelns-fabian-weitz-spielt-mit-winnipeg-blue-bombers-um-kanadischen-titel-898533|archivedate=January 20, 2025}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6486/winnipeg-blue%20bombers-vs-toronto-argonauts/#playbyplay |title=Play-by-Play, 111th Grey Cup |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 17, 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.cfl.ca/players/fabian-weitz/168757/ CFL profile]
- [https://www.bluebombers.com/players/fabian-weitz/168757/ Winnipeg Blue Bombers bio]
- [https://ubbulls.com/sports/football/roster/fabian-weitz/6335 Buffalo Bulls bio]
{{Winnipeg Blue Bombers roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weitz, Fabian}}
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Canadian football linebackers
Category:Cologne Centurions (ELF) players
Category:German players of Canadian football
Category:Sportspeople from Cologne