Since arriving to play in Europe in 2016 to play for the Gdynia Seahawks in Poland’s top league, running back Josh Quezada has been on a roll.
For four straight seasons he has churned out over 1,000 yards rushing each year, helping his teams to win two championship titles and reach one championship final.
He has set a high standard.
When he first came to Poland and the Seahawks in 2016, the 5’11, 225 lb, 27 year old Quezada had an immediate impact rushing for 875 yards in the regular season, adding another 162 during the post season. He followed that up in 2017 on an undermanned Turku Tronjans team that finished with a 3-6 record in Finland’s Maple League. He was the league’s top running back, rushing for 1,111 yards.
In 2018, he joined Serbia’s Kragujevac Wild Boars, defending Serbian champions, and led them to another championship title with 1,152 yards rushing.
Finally, this past season, Quezada signed on with Turkey’s Koc Rams and topped the country in rushing with 1,025 yards, again leading the Rams to their fourth consecutive national title.
Quezada is a native of La Habra, California and played his college football at BYU and Fresno State where over four years he rushed for 2,135 yards and caught 96 passes for 580 yards scoring 20 touchdowns. While at Fresno State, Quezada played with current Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
Quezada explains how much playing football abroad has meant to him:
“At this point in my career my goal is to encourage more players to play American Football in Europe. Players can experience what I did by traveling to over 22 countries, and truly seeing how beautiful the world is. Many people are hesitant, fearful, or nervous about playing 6,000 miles away from home. I sure felt that way during my first year in 2016, when I played for Poland. I didn’t have any resources to turn to since the sport is so young in Europe. I received my B.A. in Philosophy Religious Studies, which helped me understand differences between cultures and religions. This past season I created a documentary for future players and imports, so they can use it as a resource to get an idea of what they’re getting into. The documentary includes a day in the life as an import and what it takes to be a champion!”
Check out Josh Quezada’s highlights from 2017 season with Turku Torjans in Finland
Highlights from Wild Boars in Serbia
