ELF VIKINGS HAIL PURPLE HEROES
With a week’s break in their pursuit of another European League of Football crown, the Vienna Vikings took pause to reflect on some momentous performances in the first 11 weeks of the 2025 campaign.
The Vikings currently occupy the #1 seed, having clinched a fourth-straight division title — they have never not won their division regardless of multiple league reshuffles — and will look to extend their 9-1 season record against the Wroclaw Panthers next weekend.
In the meantime, however, minds have wandered to the possibility of Vikings winning individual awards on ELF Honours Night, which will take place at the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart ahead of the 2025 championship game on Sunday 7th September.
Outstanding tight end Florian Bierbaumer is being considered for Comeback Player of the Year, while head coach Chris Calaycay could be in line to earn a second Coach of the Year award, although he faces stiff opposition from rivals in Prague, Munich and Copenhagen, amongst others. Lucky Ogbevoen, already considered as Europe’s best outside linebacker, must be considered to have a very good chance of being named Defensive Player of the Year while, on the other side of the ball, quarterback, Ben Holmes has been repeatedly mentioned as a potential Most Valuable Player. Affectionately known by his fans as #BenVP, Holmes took home First Team All-Star honours in 2024 and is currently on track to break his own franchise record for passing touchdowns this year.
The Buffalo-born playmaker boosted his odds of success on both fronts by piling on another six touchdowns to his regular season stats against the hapless Fehérvár Enthroners last Saturday and has already equalled his own record of 34 regular season touchdowns from last year. With two regular season matchups remaining before the postseason, Holmes is well on his way to matching — or even breaking — his own franchise record of 41 total passing TDs, set in 2024.
One of Holmes’ favourite targets, wide receiver Reece Horn, also reached a highly significant milestone against Fehérvár, the 32-year-old American scoring his 50th touchdown in ELF competition. Horn, who was born and raised in Indiana, entered the league midway through the 2022 season and played two championship games for the Frankfurt Galaxy before signing with the Vikings in Week 2 of the 2024 season. Widely respected for his reliability and experience, he has been a key figure on every team he has played for, and joins a very short list of players to reach the 50-touchdown mark. Notably, he is the first receiver to join ‘the 50 club’, and his success underscores consistent performance over several seasons and his continued role as a key figure to both the Vikings’ offense and the league as a whole.
“We congratulate Reece on this impressive accomplishment,” Coach Calaycay enthused. “He is an outstanding athlete and a great team-mate. Needless to say, we are glad that he decided last year to bring his talents to the Purple Reign when he got that call from us.”
Among the annaul awards that don’t focus solely on on-field performance is the ELF Man of the Year title, and the Vikings were quick to nominate starting linebacker Noel Swancar as their 2025 candidate. As the award honours a player who impresses not only with athletic achievements, but also exceptional character, fairness and social commitment, Swancar was an obvious choice, having become the first professional athlete to be named as an official ambassador of the Lichtblickhof children’s hospice, setting an important example and helping to raise awareness of the facility’s valuable therapeutic work.
Swancar is also involved in youth development, both through regular school visits where he introduces students to the game and inspires them to play both flag and tackle versions of it, and as head coach of the U12 team within the AFC Vienna Vikings programme, where he passes on his experience and passion to the youngest players, thus shaping the next generation of football talent.
Swancar, Holmes and Horn will all be in action against Wroclaw at Vienna’s ERGO Arena on Saturday (9th August) as the visiting Panthers look to prolong their own, slim, playoff hopes.
