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The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europa based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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.

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, on their 11th 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.

 

Head coaches

 

Season-by-season

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

SeasonWLTFinishPlayoff results
Amsterdam Admirals (World League)
19959101st LeagueLost World Bowl III (Galaxy)
19965503rd League--
Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europe)
19975503rd League--
19987303rd League--
19994604th League--
20004604th League--
20014604th League--
20024605th League--
20034605th League--
20045503rd League--
20056402nd LeagueWon World Bowl XIII (Thunder)
20067301st LeagueLost World Bowl XIV (Galaxy)
Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europa)
20074605th League--
Totals68640(including playoffs)

Attendance

Source: Kenn.com

YearGamesTotalAverage
Amsterdam Admirals (World League)
1995572,76714,553
1996550,09410,019
Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europe)
1997573,42514,685
1998579,26315,853
1999561,44412,289
2000554,98510,997
2001566,29213,258
2002558,32211,664
2003557,20811,442
2004562,49612,499
2005564,38612,877
2006567,10613,421
Amsterdam Admirals (NFL Europa)
2007558,39011,678
1365826,17812,710

 

Ring of Honor

 

Notable players

 

League records (1995-2007)

Individual records

  • Note: NFLE has a 10-game season.
Highest Pass Rating, Season (Qualifiers)Most Passes Attempted, Season
PlayerYearRatingPlayerYearAttempted
Gibran Hamdan2006113.4Will Furrer1996368
Most Passes Completed, SeasonHighest Average Gain, Season (Qualifiers)
PlayerYearCompletedPlayerYearAverage
Shaun Hill2003220Gibran Hamdan200610.06
Most Consecutive Passes Attempted, None InterceptedMost Games, 100 or More Yards Pass Receiving, Season
PlayerYearAttemptedPlayerYearGames
Ron Powlus2000156Skyler Fulton20066
Most Consecutive Games, 100 or More Yards Pass ReceivingMost Yards Gained, Career
PlayerYearGamesPlayerYearYards
Matthew Hatchette20034Joe Douglass1998-1999624
Longest Punt ReturnMost Opponents' Fumbles Recovered, Season
PlayerYearYardsPlayerYearFumbles
Matthew HatchetteAmsterdam vs. Berlin, 5/31/03101Karmeeleyah McGill19954
Longest Fumble Return
PlayerYearYards
Derrick BallardAmsterdam vs. Berlin, 3/18/0695

 

Team records

Most Passes Completed, SeasonFewest Passes Completed, Season
YearCompletedYearCompleted
20032711997116
Fewest Yards Gained, SeasonFewest Rushing Touchdowns, Season
YearYardsYearTouchdowns
1997120820001
Most Points, Both Teams, GameMost Punt Returns, Season
YearPointsYearYards
5/31/03 (vs. Berlin)94 (51-43)199839
Most Yards Gained on Punt Return, GameMost Yards Gained on Punt Return, Both Teams, Game
YearYardsYearYards
5/11/96 (vs. London)1755/11/96 (vs. London)201
Fewest Yards Gained on Kickoff Return, GameMost Yards Gained on Kickoff Return, Both Teams, Game
YearYardsYearYards
5/28/00 (vs. Frankfurt)25/31/03 (vs. Berlin)451 (188-263)
Fewest Fumbles, SeasonFewest Fumbles Lost, Season
YearFumblesYearFumbles
2003720032
Most Fumbles Lost, Both Teams, GameMost Opponents' Fumbles Recovered, Season
YearFumblesYearFumbles
5/13/95 (vs. Barcelona)8 (4-4)199520
Most Opponents' Fumbles Recovered, Both Teams, GameFewest Yards Penalized, Both Teams, Game
YearFumblesYearYards
5/13/95 (vs. Barcelona)8 (4-4)5/18/97 (vs. Scotland)25 (15-10)
Most Yards Penalized, Both Teams, GameFewest Yards Allowed by Defense, Rushing, Season
YearYardsYearYards
6/1/02 (vs. Frankfurt)294 (116-178)2000654

Source: NFLEurope.com

Trivia

  • In all three World Bowl berths the Admirals lost their starting quarterback prior to going to the World Bowl, leaving the big job for the backup quarterback.
  • When the Admirals were forced to schedule their last home game of the 2000 season against the Scottish 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. One of the end zones was ruled unsafe by the officials as the surface was in exceptionally poor condition, so it was decided that the teams would change ends at every change of possession and play towards the other end zone.

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1995 Admirals History
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1996 Admirals History
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1997 Admirals History
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1998 Admirals History
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1999 Admirals History
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2000 Admirals History
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2001 Admirals History
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2002 Admirals History
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2003 Admirals History
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2004 Admirals History
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2005 Admirals History
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2006 Admirals History
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Admirals History 2007
     

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