The Frankfurt Galaxy have announced the signing of American playmaker Brandon Butler ahead of the 2024 European League of Football season.
Butler spent last season with the Prague Lions, as the team made its debut season in the ELF. He primarily played defensive back in Prague, as he recorded 42 tackles, 5 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery with the Lions. The rest of the Lions defense struggled so he had the tough task of being asked to shut down the opposition’s best players all season. He also took some snaps at wide receiver, where he caught two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown, and occasionally handled kick return duties.
Before signing with Prague, Butler spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Frankfurt Universe, who played in the German Football League at the time. With the Universe, he played in all three phases of the game, spending time at receiver, defensive back, and returner. He took a lot more snaps at receiver there than he did in Prague, so he does have a proven track record of being able to produce on offense. Of course, he now returns to the same city as he spent two seasons in the past, so he surely has a certain level of comfort with the city of Frankfurt.
Butler has a unique story for an American import player. He stands out in that he did not play football at any collegiate level. Rather, he served in the United States Air Force, where he developed his passion for football. After leaving the USAF, he signed with the Aschaffenburg Stallions of the fourth division in Germany in 2019. He then joined the Universe after the 2020 season was canceled by COVID-19, and now finds himself in the ELF for the second straight season.
Butler is unique as he has German citizenship, which he acquired thanks to his time with the Air Force, so he does not count as an import player for the Galaxy.
With the signing of Butler, Frankfurt acquired a useful player who can line up in multiple positions and can contribute on offense, defense, or special teams. This is definitely a nice signing for a team looking to make a run at the championship in 2024.
