AFLE
Team Logo
Tim Passgang

Rhein Fire add experience with the signing of Raymond Woodard

•

Rhein Fire continue building their team for the first the American Football League Europe season and have found the leader of their defense. The franchise has signed Raymond Woodard as defensive coordinator, adding valuable experience to the coaching staff.

Cool Down — Built to Recover. Code AFLE

Reunion with head coach Mark Ridgley

Woodard already worked with Rhein Fire head coach Mark Ridgley in the 2024 season, when both were part of the Madrid Bravos coaching staff. Their previous collaboration should help create strong coordination and a clear defensive identity from the start.

Playing and coaching experience at a high level

Before his coaching career, Woodard had a successful time as a player. After college stops at Kilgore and Texas, the American reached the NFL, where he played as a defensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs.

Following his playing career, Woodard moved into coaching and worked at several colleges as well as in NFL Europe. Most recently, he served as defensive coordinator in Madrid in 2024.

Ready for a new challenge with Rhein Fire

Now Woodard joins Rhein Fire to lead the defense into a new era. Together with the coaching staff and players, he aims to build a strong unit and help the team compete at the highest level in their first the American Football League Europe season.

Watch every AFLE game on AFLE+

Weitere News

Why the Berlin Thunder season deserves more credit than the record suggests

22.10.2026

A 5-7 record and a missed playoff spot tell only part of the Berlin Thunder story. On the field, they were one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league. Off it, they faced challenges that would have derailed lesser organizations entirely. Looked at in full, this was a season that deserves respect. An […]

Why Nazir Streater’s 2026 season was something special

19.10.2026

Anyone who has followed European American football over the past few years knows the name Nazir Streater. But in 2026, the Rhein Fire defensive back took everything he had shown before and raised it to an entirely different level. A player built for the big stage Streater arrived at Rhein Fire ahead of the 2026 […]

Why the Paris Lights fell short in 2026 and what needs to change

14.10.2026

The Paris Lights came into the 2026 AFLE season with expectations. A 2-2 start after the first four games suggested those expectations were not unfounded. What followed over the remaining ten weeks was a season that never found the consistency it needed, and a 3-9 record that placed the Lights last in the North/West Conference. […]