Gabe Chambers: Globetrotting speedster turned head coach!
Gabe Chambers has worn many different hats during his five years playing football internationally, and in several different countries.
This year, for the first time, he will be wearing all of them simultaneously.
Chambers is the new head coach of the Landsberg Xpress, a Regionalliga team in Bavaria in southern Germany. He’s also the offensive coordinator, starting wide receiver and the receivers coach.
The added bonus for the Xpress was that they didn’t have to look far to find him. He was living in their own backyard. Alabama native Chambers had been living in the area since 2018:
“I’m the Head Coach, OC, and the WR coach/player. I will be doing both coaching and playing, but thanks to my ‘other’ OC Jan Radeweld who will also serve as an OC and help me out while I’m out on the field playing and making calls and telling me what he see from the sideline or pressbox. We have already been making calls or videochats and etc to get on the same page now its just putting everything together, but I’m very thankful for Jan and my other coaches that are helping me with this year. We have a pretty good coaching staff here and we are excited to get things started.”
Chambers has been playing football internationally since 2015. He started with the Sopot Seahawks in Poland, before heading to the Manila Wolves in the Philippines. After winning the championship with the Wolves, Chambers joined the powerhouse Serbian club, the Kragujevac Wild Boars. Using his blazing speed, Chambers helped the Wild Boars capture the 2016 title. This started a streak of championships for Chambers as he joined the Leme Lizards in Brazil for two straight championship and two straight MVPs. Between Brazilian seasons Chambers played for the ITU Hornets in Turkey.
Chambers had an impact playing for the Kragujevac Wild Boars in Serbia
In 2018, Chambers joined quarterback Brad Jones with the Warsaw Sharks in Poland. When the Polish season ended, Chambers moved to Germany and joined the 2018 Allgäu Comets in the German Football League. Chambers introduced his speed to the top league in Europe by scoring long touchdowns against elite teams like the Schwabish Hall Unicorns and Frankfurt Universe.
In 2019, Chambers now a full time German resident, joined the Munich Cowboys II dominating the German third division as a deep threat receiver.
Poland’s Warsaw Sharks benefited from Chambers speed
Chambers learned his football skills playing high school football at Cherokee County High School in Centre, Alabama, about 100 miles west of Atlanta. Chambers’ speed, combined with the strong arm of a talented quarterback named Coty Blanchard, made them one of the most dangerous duos in Alabama high school football. Chambers, who had offers from many Division I programs, followed his high school quarterback and they both ended up at Jacksonville State (D1-FCS).
“I was going to commit to Mississippi State when Dan Mullen was the Head Coach there but then my high school quarterback decommitted due to wanting to play both sport baseball and football, so I immediately committed to Arkansas State who were in the Sun Belt and Coach Tyler Siskey was the WR coach at that time. I went on my last recruiting trip after already being committed to Arkansas State and my quarterback Coty Blanchard committed to Jacksonville State so I ended up committed to Jacksonville State University.”
Gabe Chambers was outstanding playing for the Allgäu Comets in the German Football League
At Jacksonville State, Chambers made his speed count as a dangerous returner, scoring a 99 kick return touchdown against Kentucky, and contributing to the offense as a wide receiver. After a coaching change, Chambers decided to head back to Alabama and joined Faulkner University, an NAIA school.
“I transfered due to another coaching change and I knew I had to go somewhere to show scouts I can still play, so I played my last season.”
At Faulkner University, Chambers shined as he finally became the focal point of the offense catching 51 passes for 700 yards and two touchdowns. Chambers also returned a kick-off for a touchdown and was a major contributor in the Eagles winning the their conference.
Gabe Chambers was a standout WR at Jacksonville State
With his college career behind him, the southern speedster initially had his sights set on the pursuing a career in the CFL before opting to join a friend in Europe.
“I was actually training in Buffalo, New York with Sammy Watkins and Corey Grant. I was at the gym and I get a called from Luke Zetazate who was playing and coaching for Sopot Seahawks in Poland and he offered me. But I was training to go to a CFL Rookie Camp with Edmonton Eskimos with Head Coach Chris Jones. Luke was half Canadian and half Philippines he figured I would go to the CFL but I had an old teammate Tim McGee who was playing in Poland for the Gdynia Seahawks and I made my decision to not even go to the CFL. I wasn’t ready for all that politics and money because I had that at college and I knew what happen there, so within 2 weeks I was on my way to Sopot Poland.”
Since heading to Europe in 2015, Chambers has been a globetrotter, making an impact with any team he joined, winning four titles in the process. Now he will lead the Landsberg Xpress in a new role in his new home in southern Germany.
Gabe Chambers on his goals as the head coach of the Xpress:
“My goals are simple and that is to win, dominate, and build a dynasty or establish a real program there while making an impact on guys lives on and off the field. As a Head Coach, I also wanted to help my guys out as much as I can to put them in position to win at games and at life. Taking one game at a time and controlling what we control.”
