Hungary: Chris Jeffrey is the missing puzzle piece for the Győr Sharks’ offense

The Győr Sharks are reaching new heights in the Hungarian Football League with Chris Jeffrey as their new quarterback.

After getting an impressive 41-14 win against the Budapest Cowbells on the road in the second week of the season, the Sharks have now advanced to the second round of the regular season in the HFL. It seems that after so many years, the Sharks have finally found the quarterback they need to take the next step.

Jeffrey has a lot of potential in him and he produced great numbers since his stay in Hungary including throwing seven touchdown passes and running for another in three games. His mobility and speed make him hard for defenders to bring down. With his addition to the lineup, the Győr Sharks have clearly become a title contender this season. Not to mention the fact that the offense has become much more versatile. The Sharks amazing comeback against the Wolves was proof of that. Győr was trailing by three touchdowns in the first quarter but behind Jeffrey they rallied to defeat the Wolves 35-28.

The Sharks‘ signal-caller talked about that matchup as well as his stay in Hungary.

American Football International: You have had an outstanding debut season in Hungary. It seems that you fit in quite well.

Chris Jeffrey: Yes, Sir! I think it has been a great fit for me joining the Sharks. We have the potential to do some great things this year and also have so much talent. It is almost like I was the missing piece to the puzzle.

AFI: How do you prepare for a game, and how do you motivate your teammates?

CJ: I have a mentality: Preparation Over Everything. How you prepare, how you practice is how you will play in the game. For me, I am a film junkie. I watch films on my opponents all the way until it is game time. I want to make sure, I will be as prepared as possible to lead the team to the best of my abilities. As a quarterback, the key is to pay attention and be ready for all the little stuff everyone does not pay attention to. People wonder why Brady, Rodgers, Brees are so good or it looks easy for them on Sundays. It is because they are prepared. And that is what I preach to the team: “We have to practice hard and do different things in practice to make the game easy!” If you do not battle against your brother in practice, you battle against the opponent on Saturday. However, I just try to be steady. Installing the American culture practice is always harder than the game.

AFI: Why did you choose the Győr Sharks in the first place?

CJ: I chose the Sharks because it was just a great opportunity on the table to be able to come and help an organization who is trying to establish a winning identity and culture. I felt like I was just the right guy for the job because I came from winning nearly every place I have been in Europe. I believe with my experience and background I could help establish the flow to create the identity to shape this team into a major contender even though the Sharks finished 1-4 last HFL season. Nevertheless, if you take a look from last season to now, you will already see a drastic change in production. Sharks used to be push overs in the league but now slowly becoming the steamrollers of the league and in contention for the HFL Championship. That is why I chose the Sharks!

AFI: Based on your experience, what is the team like?

CJ: I love this team! The guys are great. I think, it is maybe the youngest team I have been on in my four years but it has been a pleasure to gain these new friendships and brotherhoods that we will hold for life. Along with being part of the growth and seeing these guys get better and better every day.

AFI: What is your thoughts about Hungary and playing in the Hungarian Football League?

CJ: Hungary is a sweet country. It definitely has some awesome places to visit. The sport here is still evolving, trying to reach the stage of some of the higher leagues like Austria and Germany. Nevertheless, in my opinion it has headed in the right direction. I have seen championship games from last season and it was a big event. It will continue to grow bigger.

AFI: Without a doubt, your biggest win was against the Wolves. What was the secret behind your great comeback?

CJ: The key for us was US. First, believing that we could come back. Being down 21-0 in the first quarter was tough. Things could have gone bad and we could have got rolled over but this is not the old Sharks. The mentality is shifting and we know what we are trying to accomplish this season. This game was a defining moment where it was going to show how bad we really wanted it. We preached to each other a lot and did everything for the man next to us. And before we knew it, we were in victory formation.

AFI: The Sharks’ performance has greatly improved this season, especially on offense. What brought this change in your opinion?

CJ: One of the main reasons is Andres Fernandez who had been offensive coordinator and head coach of the youth teams for the last couple of seasons. He has done a great job installing his offense and have the same system for a while now. That has given the guys the opportunity to learn it without having to deal with a new coach coming to teach something new. Also, me fitting into the offense is the icing on top because I do not think all the quarterbacks in the past have been able or capable of doing what is needed from a QB in this system. I think I fit perfectly in it which is the reason we are starting to roll the way we are.

Watch the  Győr Sharks take on the Fehervar Enthroners, Saturday, June 12 at 15:00 CET (3 pm, 09:00 am ET) on AFI.tv