ELF: Wroclaw Panthers add Florida Gators RB Mark Herndon
The Wroclaw Panthers of the European League of Football have signed former University of Florida running back Mark Herndon.
The Panthers agreed to terms with Herndon after the departure of the Panthers’ previous running back Lamar Carswell, who left the team and returned to the United States for personal reasons. Wroclaw management moved quickly signing the former SEC running back to prepare for their season opener in against the Cologne Centurions on June 19th.
Herndon commented on his decision to come to Poland and join the Panthers:
“The reason I chose to come to Poland was to help the Panthers win the EFL championship and I believe that we can. Wroclaw is a great organization that is on its way to achieve bigger things than they have done before. I believe that them joining the EFL will help the popularity of American football here in Poland and it is a privilege for me to be a part of the great things we have going on here in Wroclaw. Go Panthers!”
Herndon joins the Wroclaw Panthers after having most recently played in the Alliance of American Football League (AAF), suiting up for the Orlando Apollos. The 5’9″ 210 pound Oscala, Florida native, joined the AAF after spending a rookie mini-camp with the Cleveland Browns.
Before turning pro, the University of Florida alum was an All-District running back at Forest high school, rushing for 1,600 yards and 19 touchdowns in his senior season. A long-time Gators fan, Herndon chose to walk-on at the nearby University of Florida in 2012. One year later, he had earned an athletic scholarship. As a member of the Gators, Herndon made a name for himself as one of the team’s strongest special teamers recording 8 tackles in his career. Herndon was part of a talented locker room at Florida that included future NFL stars such as Vernon Hargraves, Dante Fowler, and Keanu Neal. Off the field Herndon earned the Gene Elleson Community Service Award for his work with the Climb For Cancer foundation.
Watch Herndon score a touchdown against Eastern Michigan
About the ELF
The European League of Football, ELF, kicks off June 19, and will wind up with the championship game in September. Eight teams will vie for the title: the Hamburg Sea Devils, Berlin Thunder, Frankfurt Galaxy, Cologne Centurions, Stuttgart Surge, Leipzig Kings, Wroclaw Panthers (Poland), and the Barcelona Dragons (Spain).
