ELF: Hamburg Sea Devils sign star WR Jarvis McClam

The Hamburg Sea Devils have made a big offseason splash in the European League of Football, as they announced the signing of American playmaker Jarvis McClam.

McClam started last season with the Raiders Tirol, where he made an immediate impact.  In eight games with the Austrian franchise, he caught 61 passes for 788 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which were near the top of the leaderboard most of the way through the season.  He also handled return duties, running a kickoff back for a touchdown, and even threw for a touchdown on a trick play.  In the first eight games of the ELF season, he helped the Raiders achieve a record of 6-2.

However, despite the team’s impressive record at that point, the Raiders decided to release quarterback Christian Strong just over halfway through the season in a puzzling decision.  McClam and Strong are longtime friends and teammates, and McClam showed loyalty to his quarterback when he voluntarily left the team after Strong’s release.  McClam was ineligible to play for another team for the rest of the season, and the Raiders ended up missing out on the playoffs at 8-4.

McClam played collegiately at Seton Hill University, a  NCAA Division II program in Pennsylvania, where, teamed up with Strong, he ranked highly in the school’s record books in categories like receptions and all-purpose yards.  After playing a year in Australia with the Brisbane Rhinos, he joined the Langenfeld Longhorns of GFL2, where he spent the 2019 season as a quarterback and the 2021 season as a receiver.  In 2022, he signed with the Cologne Crocodiles of the German Football League, where he, with Strong as the quarterback, was the leading scorer in one of the top leagues in Europe.  That led him to sign with the Raiders of the ELF, and now he will be returning to the ELF for another season.

With the signing of McClam, the Sea Devils know that they are getting an experienced player who can make big plays on offense and in the return game.  This is the first American import slot they have filled, as they are still yet to find a quarterback and a couple of import defensive players.  Maybe Christian Strong will be an option at quarterback, though there are plenty of options available.  In any case, the signing of McClam is a big splash in an otherwise quiet offseason for the Sea Devils, who are looking to reach the postseason again after a disappointing 4-8 season last year.