Berlin Thunder enter the AFLE era with a proven quarterback, an explosive offense, and a secondary built to dominate
The Berlin Thunder are one of the most familiar names in European football, and they enter the inaugural American Football League Europe season with a clear identity on both sides of the ball. A franchise quarterback who has won championships and knows how to lead, a backfield loaded with talent, and a defensive secondary that may be the deepest in the entire league. Berlin is not a team rebuilding for the future. They are building for right now.
Jakeb Sullivan is the heartbeat of everything Berlin does on offense
There are few quarterbacks in European football with a resume like Jakeb Sullivan’s. After playing his college career at South Dakota Mines, he came to Europe in 2019 and never looked back. He played for the Marburg Mercenaries, then the Vienna Vikings, before joining the Frankfurt Galaxy in the ELF. There he established himself as one of the best players on the continent, winning the championship and taking home the Championship Game MVP award.
Sullivan then signed with Berlin Thunder and quickly became the face of the franchise. He brings leadership, experience, and a deep understanding of what it takes to win at the highest level of European football. After two strong seasons in Frankfurt, he knows what a championship-caliber team looks and feels like, and he is determined to bring that standard to Berlin.
Last season Sullivan threw more interceptions than at any previous point in his European career. He knows it, and the motivation to correct that is clear. With a stronger supporting cast around him in 2026, including a dangerous running game and experienced pass catchers, he has every reason to return to his best form. When Sullivan is managing the game well, making smart decisions, and finding his playmakers in rhythm, Berlin’s offense becomes very difficult to stop.
A loaded skill position group gives the Thunder offense real firepower
Sullivan will have help. A lot of it.
At running back, Berlin have assembled what could be one of the most exciting backfield duos in the AFLE. Kai Hunter spent ten years developing at the Saarland Hurricanes before moving to Frankfurt and then Stuttgart, where he won the championship in 2025 after beating out Tomiwa Oyewo for the starting role. Now they are teammates again in Berlin, and both have something to prove.
Oyewo’s story is one of the more compelling ones in the league. After rushing for over 1,000 yards in his very first ELF season with the Munich Ravens, he struggled to repeat that form the following year. He arrives in Berlin hungry to show that season was the exception, not the rule. If both backs perform anywhere near their potential, the Thunder will have a genuine ground game to build around.
At wide receiver, the connection between head coach Shawn Cooper and Jon Cole is one of the most interesting storylines on the roster. Cooper coached Cole at Arizona Christian University, where he was twice named All-American, and then again at the Fehérvár Enthroners last season. After dealing with a serious injury that cost him much of 2024, Cole came off the bench at Fehérvár and finished the year among the top receivers in the league despite missing several games. In Berlin, he finally gets a full season with a full preparation behind him.
Alongside Cole, Niklas Schumm is entering his second season with the Thunder after a breakout year that made him one of Sullivan’s most trusted targets. British wide receiver Lewis Kirby adds another dimension after recording 49 catches for 621 yards and nine touchdowns with the Braunschweig Lions last season. Together, the three give Sullivan options at every level of the field.
A deep and talented secondary could make Berlin’s defense the best in the league
While the offense will draw attention, the Berlin Thunder defense may end up being the unit that defines this team’s season.
The secondary is built with a level of depth that few AFLE teams can match. Kessawn Abraham spent five seasons at Rutgers University in the Big Ten, one of the most competitive conferences in college football. He appeared in 51 games as a Scarlet Knight and earned First Team All-Big Ten recognition from Pro Football Focus in 2021. He is one of only 27 players in Rutgers history to play in that many games, and he brings a physical, disciplined presence to the heart of Berlin’s defense.
Kosi Onyeka comes from the Canadian Football League, where he spent four seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders after his college career at the University of Guelph. His experience at the professional level gives him both the football IQ and the toughness to be a leader in the back end. He was direct about his ambitions when he arrived. „I have goals of winning the league championship and being the best defensive player in Europe,“ he said. On why he chose Berlin specifically: „The city of Berlin deserves a championship, and I will do everything in my power to deliver that to the fans.“
Andy Vera rounds out an impressive group of experienced defensive backs. The Spanish-born defender spent five seasons in the ELF with the Barcelona Dragons and the Madrid Bravos, was selected for the ELF All-Star team in 2021, and produced nine interceptions and 130 tackles across 50 career games. His ball-hawking ability gives Berlin a genuine playmaker in the secondary.
In front of that secondary, the defensive line has real potential too. British defensive end Michael Keshinro is one of the most productive pass rushers to arrive in the AFLE this season. In 2025 with the Shanghai Wolves, he recorded 15.5 sacks and 43 tackles across just eight games. Those numbers are remarkable, and even at a fraction of that production, he would be a nightmare for opposing offensive lines. Austrian veteran Felix Ntwa and Italian defensive lineman Andrea Poglietelli add experience and depth to a front that is built to create pressure on every single snap.
A coaching staff with experience on both sides of the Atlantic
Berlin Thunder enter the AFLE season with a coaching staff that combines American college experience with proven European football knowledge.
Head coach Shawn Cooper spent nine seasons at Arizona Christian University, where he worked as wide receivers coach, passing game coordinator, and recruiting coordinator. During that time the program won four conference titles, reached the NAIA playoffs twice, and produced three All-Americans. Cooper then moved to Europe, serving as offensive coordinator at the Barcelona Dragons and then the Fehérvár Enthroners before taking over in Berlin. He knows European football, he knows his players, and he knows how to build offenses that produce.
Offensive coordinator John Shannon brings a lifetime of coaching wisdom to the Thunder staff. At 71, Shannon has seen and done nearly everything the game has to offer. His most successful run came at Jackson State from 1994 to 2000, where his offenses won around 75 percent of their games, set multiple program records, and captured back-to-back conference titles. He was named Division I-AA Offensive Coordinator of the Year and AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000. Shannon also has European experience, having served as offensive coordinator for the Vienna Vikings in 2023. His job now is to put Sullivan in the best possible position to succeed and to build an offense that can score from anywhere on the field.
On defense, Raúl Saavedra follows Cooper from Fehérvár to Berlin, where he takes on the role of defensive coordinator. His knowledge of the players and the system already in place gives the Thunder a head start when it comes to building the defensive identity that this roster deserves. Special teams coordinator Daniel Docal adds further credibility, with experience at Bucknell University, the Danube Dragons, and two seasons as defensive coordinator at the NFL Academy in London.
Why the Berlin Thunder cannot be overlooked in the AFLE
Berlin Thunder are not a one-dimensional team. They have the quarterback experience to manage games and make big plays. They have the running backs to control the clock and wear down defenses. They have the wide receivers to stretch the field and create mismatches. And they have the defensive secondary to take away what opposing offenses do best.
The combination of Jakeb Sullivan’s leadership and the deep, athletic group of defensive backs around him gives Berlin a foundation that most teams in this league would envy. If Sullivan cuts down his turnovers, if the running game delivers on its potential, and if that secondary performs the way the talent suggests it should, the Thunder will be in the conversation for the AFLE title all season long.
This is a team with a clear identity, a clear plan, and the pieces to carry it out. Berlin Thunder are ready.
