ELF: Homegrown Hero Series – ELF’s top rusher – Dawid Brzozowski

| American Football | 07/05/2023
Igor Lazarevic - Photo

The ELF Homegrown Hero series continues with a well-deserved feature athlete out of the Wroclaw Panthers of Poland.

The series aims to shine a light on those players outside of the US and Canada making an impact on the ELF.

Dawid Brzozowski currently sits at the top of the ELF rushing leaderboard through games with an impressive 518 yards and four touchdowns through five games, averaging over 6 yards a carry. The homegrown talent has been a huge part of the Panthers success so far this season, as Wroclaw is currently 4-1, surprising many across the league.

The 22-year-old “veteran” recently eclipsed over 1,000 career rushing yards in the ELF, becoming only the fourth player in league history to do so, while averaging 5.2 yards a carry and only recording one fumble.

The current leading rusher of the ELF sat down with us for a quick Q&A

AFI: How did you start playing football?

Brzozowski: In 2018, the coach of the American football team from my town, the Bielawa Owls, noticed me at our local gym and invited me to practice. After the first training, I knew that it was for me and I fell in love with this sport.

AFI: What is your goal through the sport?

Brzozowski: My goal is to compete with the best players and constantly develop, striving for perfection.

AFI: How does it feel to be a young player in ELF representing Poland?

Brzozowski: It’s an honor for me that I can represent not only Panthers but also Poland, especially at such a young age. I would like to show that there are a lot of talented players in our country

AFI: What’s your favorite football memory so far?

Brzozowski: The years when I played in the Polish Junior League are a great memory for me. Especially the finals that we won for several years in a row. When I played as a junior, there was an amazing atmosphere in the team. I went to the same class in high school with my teammates. We went to the football field whenever we had free time and were very close friends.

Another important moment for me was our recent game against the Berlin Thunder, which I will remember for a long time because I managed to set a record of rushing yards in one game among European players in the ELF.

AFI: What’s the future of football in Poland?

Brzozowski: Unfortunately, football in Poland is not as popular as in Germany, but all football organizations are doing their best to make this sport bigger and encourage young athletes to join the teams. Everything is going on the right path and I think that in a few years, Polish teams will become much better.

AFI: What’s it like for you to become the go-to guy in the Panthers backfield this season?

Brzozowski: It is a big responsibility for sure, but also a great joy because I worked hard to be where I am now. Luckily, the pressure motivates me. I am glad that I can be an important part of the team.”

AFI: What’s the goal of the Panthers this season?

Brzozowski: We’re here for the championship and nothing else matters.

Alex is a former NCAA and semi-pro American football player who is now located in London, where he works in digital marketing. His goal in writing for AFI is to stay involved with the game that has given him so much. Alex enjoys covering leagues and