Finland: Porvoo Butchers sign veteran QB Brandon Gwinner
The Porvoo Butchers of the Finnish Maple League have signed a familiar face in veteran quarterback Brandon Gwinner. Gwinner is a well-traveled international signal-caller who has suited up for the Wasa Royals in Finland the last two seasons. Porvoo’s new passer kept things simple when discussing his move to the Butchers.
“I have unfinished business in this league that needs to be taken care of.”
The 6’3″, 220-pound quarterback is no stranger to football in Finland as he heads into his third season in the country’s Maple League. During his first Finnish season in 2020, he was the fourth leading passer in the shortened season, throwing for 732 yards and seven touchdowns in five games, while rushing for 364 yards on 68 carries and eight touchdowns for the Wasa Royals.
Gwinner then went on to lead the Bialystok Lowlanders to the Polish championship game that same year, prior to returning to the Wasa Royals in 2021. This past season with the Royals, Gwinner threw for 1,158 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing 10 interceptions. The dual-threat quarterback also added 419 yards and three touchdowns on the ground for a Wasa team in rebuilding mode.
In 2019, he began his international career playing for the Brisbane Rhinos in Australia. In Queensland, Gwinner threw for over 30 touchdowns and was named team MVP. He started the 2020 season with the Yeditepe Eagles of the Turkish League of American Football and managed to play and win one game before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the season.
Before heading abroad, Gwinner spent four seasons at Morrisville State (NCAA D3). At Morrisville, he threw for 4,215 yards and 34 touchdowns in 26 games.
Following the departure of quarterback Jabari Harris and receiver RJ Long, the Butchers will lean on Gwinner next season, as they aim to return to the postseason after showing progress with a core of young Finnish talent in 2021.
Read more about Gwinner’s globe-trotting career here
Watch Gwinner’s highlights here
