ELF: Raiders Tirol sign former Austrian NFL running back Sandro Platzgummer

| American Football | 04/21/2023

The Raiders Tirol of the European League of Football (ELF) have signed former Austrian NFL running back Sandro Platzgummer for the 2023 season.

This massive signing for the Raiders comes off the back of Platzgummer spending three years with the New York Giants as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program (IPP). The young Austrian made headlines across Europe in 2021 when he broke a 48-yard run in preseason against the New York Jets.

Hailing from Innsbruck, Austria, the 5 ‘11, 200-pound Platzgummer was the starting running back for the Swarco Raiders for five seasons (2015-2019) in the Austrian Football League and helped lead the team to four Austrian titles in five years including a perfect season in 2019, winning the Austrian title, and the European club championship. He was also an anchor on the Austrian national team that captured silver in the European Championships in 2018.

Platzgummer, undoubtedly giving up a CFL offer, will have likely been swayed back to Austria and his former team by his older brother Adrian who currently plays receiver for the Raiders, as well as a desire to continue his studies as he pursues a career in medicine.

Still just 26-years old, Platzgummer is in the prime of his career and fresh off significant time with an NFL team. He was one of the most dynamic players in Europe prior to the NFL and has been an Austrian fan favorite for the better part of three years. Platzgummer will not only transform the Raiders rushing attack overnight into one of the most dangerous in the league, but he will also provide them with an injection of energy after their mediocre 2022 season in the ELF.

Daniel Mackenzie is a Press Association graduate who works in journalism and communications in the third sector. Daniel began playing football for the London Warriors and Team Great Britain and has since played across Europe.