Finland: Seinäjoki Crocodiles sign DB Noah Richards

| American Football | 12/14/2021

The Seinäjoki Crocodiles of the Finnish Maple League have signed defensive back Noah Richards. Richards is excited to be heading to Seinäjoki and being part of a Crocodiles program:

“While I weighed a number of offers, I chose Seinäjoki because I felt confident in the leadership and direction of the team as well as the opportunity to coach and help develop local talent.”

The 5’9″, 180-pound Seattle, Washington native got his first taste of international football in 2020 playing for the Fuengirola Potros in Spain’s top league. Richards then went on to play for the Søllerød Gold Diggers in Denmark that summer before returning to Fuengirola in 2021. As a key member of the Potros secondary, Richards made 48 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and converted several onside kicks throughout the season. As one of Potros’s most experienced players, Richards served as the team’s safety and defensive coordinator in 2021. 

Throughout his time in Spain, Richards worked as an English teacher in Malaga. His status as an EU teacher allows him to play in Finland without counting against the US player quota. Before heading to Spain to teach and eventually play football, Richards was a four-year member of the Denison University Big Red (NCAA D3). In 2018, Richards played a key role on Big Red’s special teams helping them win the 2018 conference championship.

The addition of Richards further bolsters the Seinäjoki secondary as they look to rebuild their roster for the 2022 season. Under the guidance of new head coach Andy Bezaire, the Crocodiles have re-signed quarterback Zachary Whitehead, running back Christian Powell, and a host of local talent. Defensively, Richards joins American import TJ Graydon (Reinhart NAIA) and hometown talent Filip Zacok as key pieces of the Crocodiles defense.

Read more about Richards’s journey from Seattle to Spain here.

Watch Richards highlights here:

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and