ELF: Jim Tomsula and Düsseldorf Rhein Fire sign ELF’s leading rusher Glen Toonga

| American Football | 02/01/2023

The Rhein Fire of the European League of Football have signed last year’s leading rusher Glen Toonga. Head coach Jim Tomsula and the Fire make the splash by signing bringing in the top running back and an MVP finalist from last season to a Rhein Fire team collecting new talent.

The 27-year-old, 5’11”, 225-pound ball carrier was the ELF’s top running back last season rushing for a league-leading 1,468 yards and 21 touchdowns. Toonga was an MVP finalist helping lead the Sea Devils to the final carrying a Hamburg offense that relied on him game in and game out averaging a video game-like 5.7 yards a carry and 122 yards a game. He now joins a Düsseldorf Rhein Fire team that narrowly missed the post-season, and that has high expectations for its second season in 2023.

According to Around The ELF, Toonga will face a four-game suspension for failing a drug test during the semi-finals last season. This would mean Toonga will be available to play week 5.

The Brit’s 1,099 rushing yards were good for second in the GFL in 2019 league, adding to his impressive total, Toonga scored 13 touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards a carry. The season prior he helped lead the Bialystok Lowlanders to the Polish Bowl.

From 2018 to 2019, Toonga spent two seasons playing for the Dresden Monarchs, helping them reach the GFL semifinals both years. He was the fourth-leading rusher in 2019 in the GFL and sixth in 2018 amassing a total of 1,886 yards rushing over the two years, scoring 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards a carry. He also caught 32 passes for 409 yards and another touchdown.

He had originally started playing football at the University of Southampton where he spent one season before moving on to one of Britain’s top teams, the London Blitz where he played from 2015 to 2017. In his final season with the Blitz, he helped them reach the British championship final, the BritBowl, rushing for a total of 1,059 yards and nine touchdowns during the year, averaging seven yards a carry.

Toonga joins a Rhein Fire team that has signed several top European talents from around the ELF, along with re-signing quarterback Jadrian Clark and defensive back Omari Williams. Toonga should be able to have success behind an offensive line that features veterans such as Sven Breidenbach, Nick Weins, and Leander Weigand with 2022 ELF Coach of the Year Andrew Weidinger calling the plays for former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula.

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