Stuttgart Surge

{{Infobox American football team

| name = Stuttgart Surge

| logo = Stuttgart Surge Logo.png

| logosize = 225px

| helmet =

| helmetsize =

| established = {{Start date|2021|04}}

| folded =

| location = {{flagicon|GER}} Stuttgart, Germany

| stadium = Gazi-Stadion auf der Waldau

| coach = Jordan Neuman

| manager = Suni Musa

| league = European League of Football (ELF)

| division = West Division

| div_champs = Central Conference 2023, 2024

| sponsor =

| website = {{url|https://www.stuttgartsurge.com/|stuttgartsurge.com}}

| colors = Blue, lime, white
{{color box|#003567}} {{color box|#cbe000}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}

| uniform =

| current = 2025 Stuttgart Surge season

| fontcolor = #cbe000

| bgcolor = #003567

}}

The Stuttgart Surge are an American football team based in Stuttgart, Germany. They play in the European League of Football (ELF) as part of the league's South division. The team plays its home games at the Waldau-Stadion (full name with sponsor Gazi-Stadion auf der Waldau) which is currently the oldest sports stadium in Germany still in use.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/altona/article205238869/Die-Adolf-Jaeger-Kampfbahn-Ein-Denkmal-stirbt.html|title=Die Adolf-Jäger-Kampfbahn: Ein Denkmal stirbt|date=4 April 2015|website=Hamburger Abendblatt|language=de|accessdate=May 3, 2021}}

Franchise history

The Stuttgart franchise is one of the eight founding members of the European League of Football (ELF), established in 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanfootballinternational.com/pro-football-returns-to-europe-european-league-of-football-kicks-off-in-2021/|title=Pro football returns to Europe: European League of Football kicks off in 2021|publisher=AmericanFootballInternational.com |date=November 4, 2020 |accessdate=May 3, 2021}} Initially, the franchise was supposed to start as the Stuttgart Scorpions, adopting the name of Stuttgart's German Football League (GFL) team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.zwist-zwischen-football-ligen-gfl-und-elf-die-stuttgart-scorpions-zwischen-zwei-fronten.664d9982-ce16-4cad-bcc3-3ac2b04a849a.html|title=Die Stuttgart Scorpions zwischen zwei Fronten|date=March 10, 2021|website=Stuttgarter Nachrichten|language=de|accessdate=May 3, 2021}} Since the member's assembly of the Stuttgart Scorpions decided to disallow the use of the name, the team formed as Stuttgart Surge reviving the World League of American Football (WLAF) "Surge" franchise of the 1992 World Bowl champion Sacramento Surge.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.neues-football-team-fuer-stuttgart-stuttgart-surge-startet-in-der-elf.300b1f49-49b0-4857-98a8-22d2ffff51b2.html|title=Stuttgart Surge startet in der ELF|publisher=Stuttgarter Zeitung |language=de|date=April 16, 2021 |accessdate=May 3, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/mnews.php?artikel=1619334872802812&idp=1&rubrik=80|title=General Manager Timo Franke: Infos zu Name, Logo und Import RB|publisher=football-aktuell.de |language=de|date=April 25, 2021 |accessdate=May 3, 2021}} The World League of American Football was later renamed the NFL Europe. The label Surge was picked over the name Stallions in compliance of the former 1980s and 1990s American football team Stuttgart Stallions and determines the design of the new club logo and ensign.{{cite news|url=https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/mnews.php?artikel=1619334872802812&idp=1&rubrik=80|title=General Manager Timo Franke: Infos zu Name, Logo und Import RB|publisher=football-aktuell.de |language=de|date=April 25, 2021 |accessdate=May 3, 2021}} The franchise is operated by the American Football Club Stuttgart GmbH, whose general manager Timo Franke previously worked as gameday manager for the Stuttgart Scorpions.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuttgartsurge.com/impressum.html|title=stuttgartsurge.com|publisher=Stuttgart Surge website |date=2021 |accessdate=May 3, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/mnews.php?artikel=1619334872802812&idp=1&rubrik=80|title=General Manager Timo Franke: Infos zu Name, Logo und Import RB|publisher=football-aktuell.de |language=de|date=April 25, 2021 |accessdate=May 3, 2021}} Martin Hanselmann, the former coach of Germany's national American football team was signed as head coach in 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.touchdown24.de/mehr-football/elf-european-league-of-football/stuttgart-surge-name-ist-da,-hanselmann-wird-head-coach.html|title=Stuttgart Surge: Name ist da, Hanselmann wird Head Coach|publisher=Touchdown24. American Football Magazine |language=de|date=April 16, 2021 |accessdate=May 4, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.sport1.de/us-sport/2021/04/stuttgart-surge-startet-in-elf-ex-bundestrainer-hanselmann-headcoach|title=Football: Stuttgart Surge legt los|publisher=Sport1 |language=de|date=April 16, 2021 |accessdate=May 3, 2021}}

The team played their first game in the new league against the Barcelona Dragons (ELF) on June 19, 2021, with a 17–21 victory.{{cite news|url=https://www.swr.de/sport/mehr-sport/stuttgart-surge-european-100.html|title=Start der European League of Football: Stuttgart Surge gewinnt|publisher=swr.de |language=de|date=June 19, 2021 |accessdate=June 20, 2021}} In their week 2 loss to Frankfurt Galaxy starting Quarterback Jacob Wright was ejected for using a racially charged insult against an opponent for which he was ultimately cut from Stuttgart Surge and banned from playing for any ELF team for the ongoing 2021 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/news.pl?artikel=1624894798802812|title=Jacob Wright gesperrt}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/news.pl?artikel=1624901647802812&rubrik=80|title = Surge feuert starting QB Jacob Wright}} The new Quarterback Aaron Ellis was presented ahead of the week 3 matchup against Berlin Thunder (ELF).{{cite news|url=https://www.ran.de/american-football/elf/elf-news/nach-entlassung-von-jacob-wright-stuttgart-surge-verpflichtet-quarterback-aaron-ellis-125709|title=Nach Entlassung von Jacob Wright: Stuttgart Surge verpflichtet Quarterback Aaron Ellis |language=de|date=July 2, 2021 |accessdate=July 4, 2021}} After two consecutive losses during the end of the season, the team finished last in the South division and did not qualify for the playoffs.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuttgartsurge.com/surge-verpassen-die-playoffs/|title= Surge verpassen die Playoffs |language=de|date=August 29, 2021 |accessdate=September 27, 2021}}

The front office and owner structure changed significantly in preparation for the 2022 European League of Football season. Former general manager Timo Franke handed the office over to Suni Musa, but staying in the organisation as head of sales and sponsoring.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportregion-stuttgart.de/kommunikation/details/news/american-football-umstrukturierung-bei-stuttgart-surge|website=SportRegion-Stuttgart.de|title=Umstrukturierung bei Stuttgart Surge|language=de|date=January 26, 2022|access-date=February 17, 2022}} On February 4, 2022, it was revealed that New England Patriots fullback and Stuttgart native Jakob Johnson will become co-owner of the franchise.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.american-football-das-sagt-jakob-johnson-zu-seinem-einstieg-bei-den-stuttgart-surge.0a651e98-b9a2-4ce0-9d7e-ab1d545af69c.html|title=Das sagt Jakob Johnson zu seinem Einstieg bei den Stuttgart Surge|newspaper=Stuttgarter Nachrichten|language=de|date=February 4, 2022|access-date=February 17, 2022}}

After seven consecutive defeats, Martin Hanselmann resigned from his post as head coach. His interim successor was George Streeter. However, the team could not increase noticeably and ended the season without a win. After the season, Streeter became Director of Player Personnel and Development.

On October 18, 2022, Surge signed Jordan Neuman as new Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator. Neuman previously was head coach of the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, and won the German Bowl 2022. Along with him, defensive coordinator Johannes Brenner and assistant Cody Pastorino joined from the Unicorns. The new coaches led the team to a 10-2 record. Surge won the Wild Card game vs Panthers Wrocław with 37-14, and the semi final at the Vienna Vikings with 40-33. In the ELF championship game, Surge faced Rhein Fire, but lost the game with 34-53.

=Season-by-season=

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; width:60em"
rowspan="2"\| Season ! rowspan="2"\| Head coach ! colspan="5"\| Regular season ! colspan="4"\| Postseason ! rowspan="2"\| Result ! rowspan="2"\| Ø Attendance
GP ! Won ! Lost ! Win % ! Finish ! GP ! Won ! Lost ! Win %
2021 \| rowspan="2"\| Martin Hanselmann \| 10 \| 2 \| 8 \| .200 \| 4th {{small\|(South)}} \| colspan="5" \| DNQ \| 1,429
2022 \| 12 \| 0 \| 12 \| .000 \| 4th {{small\|(Central)}} \| colspan="5" \| DNQ \| 2,084
2023 \|rowspan="2"\| Jordan Neuman \| 12 \| 10 \| 2 \| .833 \| 1st {{small\|(Central)}} \| 3 \| 2 \| 1 \| .667 \| 2nd \| 3,901
2024 \| 12	11	1	.917 \| 1st {{small\|(Central)}} \| 1	0	1	.000 \| —

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; width:60em"

rowspan="2"| Season

! rowspan="2"| Head coach

! colspan="5"| Regular season

! colspan="4"| Postseason

! rowspan="2"| Result

! rowspan="2"| Ø Attendance

! Won

! Lost

! Win %

! Finish

! GP

! Won

! Lost

! Win %

2021

| rowspan="2"| Martin Hanselmann

| 10

| 2

| 8

| .200

| 4th {{small|(South)}}

| colspan="5" | DNQ

| 1,429

2022

| 12

| 0

| 12

| .000

| 4th {{small|(Central)}}

| colspan="5" | DNQ

| 2,084

2023

|rowspan="2"| Jordan Neuman

| 12

| 10

| 2

| .833

| 1st {{small|(Central)}}

| 3

| 2

| 1

| .667

| 2nd

| 3,901

2024

| 12

.917

| 1st {{small|(Central)}}

| 1

.000

| —

Logos

File:Waldau-Stadion_2021.png

With the presentation of the new team name in 2021, the franchise unveiled two logos for their first season.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.neues-football-team-fuer-stuttgart-stuttgart-surge-startet-in-der-elf.300b1f49-49b0-4857-98a8-22d2ffff51b2.html|title=Stuttgart Surge startet in der ELF|publisher=Stuttgarter Zeitung |language=de|date=April 16, 2021 |accessdate=May 4, 2021}} The design of the major logo uses the form of the Stuttgart TV tower which is located near the stadium. It is both a landmark for the town as well as for the region. The logo features the team colors yellow and blue with the tower shaft and the antenna depicting a stylized lightning bolt. The tower basket features the team name in white on a dark ground.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuttgartsurge.com/|title=stuttgartsurge.com|publisher=Stuttgart Surge website |date=2021 |accessdate=May 4, 2021}} The minor logo just shows a stylized lightning bolt in yellow pointing to the right and features optionally the team name or a multiangled line, both in a dark color.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuttgartsurge.com/|title=stuttgartsurge.com|publisher=Stuttgart Surge website |date=2021 |accessdate=May 4, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.touchdown24.de/mehr-football/elf-european-league-of-football/stuttgart-surge-name-ist-da,-hanselmann-wird-head-coach.html|title=Stuttgart Surge: Name ist da, Hanselmann wird Head Coach|publisher=Touchdown24. American Football Magazine |language=de|date=April 16, 2021 |accessdate=May 4, 2021}}

Roster

Staff

References

External links

[https://www.stuttgartsurge.com/ Official website]

Category:American football teams in Germany

Category:Sport in Stuttgart

Category:European League of Football teams

Category:2021 establishments in Germany

Category:American football teams established in 2021