The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, playing in the NFL Europe.

History

The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe. The Admirals were one of three new teams, the others being the Scottish Claymores based in Edinburgh and the Rhein Fire based in Düsseldorf, Germany, to join the old World League's European Division teams: the Barcelona Dragons, the Frankfurt Galaxy, and the London Monarchs.

The Admirals began playing their home games at the old Olympisch Stadion, built in 1928 for the Summer Games. They played there for two years until the Amsterdam ArenA was completed in 1996. When the Admirals were forced to schedule their last home game of the 2000 season against the Claymores away from the ArenA as Euro 2000 preparations were finalized, they made a return to the Olympisch Stadion in what turned out to be one of the most unusual games in American football history. The end zone at the north end of the stadium was ruled unsafe by the officials as the surface was in poor condition, so it was decided that the teams would change ends at every change of possession and play towards the other end zone.

They qualified for the 1995 World Bowl with a 9–1 regular season record, but lost to the Frankfurt Galaxy by a score of 26–22. Ten years later, in their eleventh year of existence, the Admirals won their first World Bowl by defeating the defending champion Berlin Thunder 27–21 in the championship game's 13th edition. The next season, they failed to defend their title against the Frankfurt Galaxy 22–7 in World Bowl XIV.

Under the "Player Continuity Program", the Admirals contracted linebacker Derrick Ballard and running back Jonathan Smith for the 2007 season.

Season-by-season

Season League Regular season Postseason Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result 1995 WLAF 9 1 0 .900 1st 0 1 .000 1996 WLAF 5 5 0 .500 3rd – – — Out of playoffs. 1997 WLAF 5 5 0 .500 4th – – — No playoffs. 1998 NFLE 7 3 0 .700 3rd – – — Out of playoffs. 1999 NFLE 4 6 0 .400 4th – – — No playoffs. 2000 NFLE 4 6 0 .400 4th – – — No playoffs. 2001 NFLE 4 6 0 .400 5th – – — No playoffs. 2002 NFLE 4 6 0 .400 5th – – — No playoffs. 2003 NFLE 4 6 0 .400 5th – – — No playoffs. 2004 NFLE 5 5 0 .500 3rd – – — No playoffs. 2005 NFLE 6 4 0 .600 2nd 1 0 1.000 2006 NFLE 7 3 0 .700 1st 0 1 .000 2007 NFLE 4 6 0 .400 5th – – — No playoffs. Total 68 62 0 .523 1 2 .333

Head coaches # Name Term Regular season Postseason Achievements GC Won Lost Ties Win % GC Won Lost Win % 1 Al Luginbill 1995–2000 60 34 26 0 .567 1 0 1 .000 — 2 Bart Andrus 2001–2007 70 34 36 0 .486 2 1 1 .500

Attendance

Source: Kenn.com Year Games Total Average Amsterdam Admirals (World League)1995 5 72,767 14,5531996 5 50,094 10,0191997 5 73,425 14,685 Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europe)1998 5 79,263 15,8531999 5 61,444 12,2892000 5 54,985 10,9972001 5 66,292 13,2582002 5 58,322 11,6642003 5 57,208 11,4422004 5 62,496 12,4992005 5 64,386 12,8772006 5 67,106 13,421 Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europa)2007 5 58,390 11,678 13 65 826,178 12,710

Ring of Honor Mike Evans – DE (1995–1997) Adam Vinatieri – K (1995) Jonathan Kirksey – DT (1995, 1998–2001) Frank Temming – RB (1995–2000) Silvio Diliberto – K (1997–2004) Kurt Warner – QB (1998) Derrick Levake – OL (1999–2000) Rafael Cooper – RB (2002)

Notable players Mike Evans – DE (1995–1997) Jamie Martin – QB (1995) Brad Lebo – QB (1995) Darren Bennett – P (1995) Adam Vinatieri –K (1996) Will Furrer – QB (1995–1996) Mario Cristobal – OG (1995–1996) Jay Fiedler – QB (1997) Ta'ase Faumui – DE (1998) Kurt Warner – QB (1998) Jake Delhomme – QB (1998) Tom Nütten – OG (1998) Joe Douglass – WR (1998–1999) Dan Gonzalez – QB (1999) Jim Kubiak – QB (1999–2000) Ron Powlus – QB (2000) José Cortéz – K (2000) Francesco Biancamano – P/K (1999–2000) Spergon Wynn – QB (2001) Kevin Daft – QB (2002) Shaun Hill – QB (2003) Clint Stoerner – QB (2004) Gibran Hamdan – QB (2004–2006) Kurt Kittner – QB (2005) Jarrett Payton – RB (2005) Ruvell Martin – WR (2005) Cory Peoples – S (2005) Norman LeJeune – S (2005) Jeff Roehl – OL (2006) Jared Allen – QB (2006) Glenn Pakulak – P (2006–2007) Shawn Morgan – LB (2006) Derrick Ballard – LB (2005–2007) 2007 contract player Jonathan Smith – RB (2005 & 2007) 2007 contract player Chris Wing – DE/LB (1999) Carl-Johan Björk – LB (2005–2007)

League records (1995–2007)

Individual records Note: NFLE had a 10-game season. Highest pass rating, season (qualifiers) Most passes attempted, season Player Year Rating Player Year Attempted Gibran Hamdan 2006 113.4 Will Furrer 1996 368 Most passes completed, season Highest average gain, season (qualifiers) Player Year Completed Player Year Average Shaun Hill 2003 220 Gibran Hamdan 2006 10.06 Most consecutive passes attempted, none intercepted Most games, 100 or more yards pass receiving, season Player Year Attempted Player Year Games Ron Powlus 2000 156 Skyler Fulton 2006 6 Most consecutive games, 100 or more yards pass receiving Most yards gained, career Player Year Games Player Year Yards Matthew Hatchette 2003 4 Joe Douglass 1998–1999 624 Longest punt return Most Opponents' Fumbles Recovered, season Player Year Yards Player Year Fumbles Matthew Hatchette Amsterdam vs. Berlin, 5/31/03 101 Karmeeleyah McGill 1995 4 Longest Fumble Return Player Year Yards Derrick Ballard Amsterdam vs. Berlin, 3/18/06 95

Team records Most passes completed, season Fewest Passes Completed, season Year Completed Year Completed 2003 271 1997 116 Fewest Yards Gained, season Fewest rushing touchdowns, season Year Yards Year Touchdowns 1997 1208 2000 1 Most Points, Both Teams, game Most punt returns, season Year Points Year Yards 5/31/03 (vs. Berlin) 94 (51–43) 1998 39 Most yards gained on Punt Return, game Most yards gained on Punt Return, Both Teams, game Year Yards Year Yards 5/11/96 (vs. London) 175 5/11/96 (vs. London) 201 Fewest Yards Gained on Kickoff Return, game Most yards gained on Kickoff Return, Both Teams, game Year Yards Year Yards 5/28/00 (vs. Frankfurt) 2 5/31/03 (vs. Berlin) 451 (188–263) Fewest Fumbles, season Fewest Fumbles Lost, season Year Fumbles Year Fumbles 2003 7 2003 2 Most Fumbles Lost, Both Teams, game Most Opponents' Fumbles Recovered, season Year Fumbles Year Fumbles 5/13/95 (vs. Barcelona) 8 (4–4) 1995 20 Most Opponents' Fumbles Recovered, Both Teams, game Fewest Yards Penalized, Both Teams, game Year Fumbles Year Yards 5/13/95 (vs. Barcelona) 8 (4–4) 5/18/97 (vs. Scotland) 25 (15–10) Most Yards Penalized, Both Teams, game Fewest yards allowed by Defense, rushing, season Year Yards Year Yards 6/1/02 (vs. Frankfurt) 294 (116–178) 2000 654 Source: NFLEurope.com

See also Amsterdam Admirals 2006 Amsterdam Admirals 2007

External links

NFL Europa: Amsterdam Admirals