ELF: Raiders Tirol Sign Massive CFL & D1 Danish OL Steven Nielsen

| 2021 CFL Global Draft | 11/19/2022

The Raiders Tirol of the European League of Football have signed former CFL and D1 Danish offensive lineman Steven Nielsen. The massive 6’8 315-pound offensive lineman spent the last seven seasons playing at the NCAA D1 level, the NFL, and the CFL before committing to the Raiders for the 2023 season.

Raiders Tirol head coach Kevin Herron on the big signing:

‘I am very excited that Steven [Nielsen] decided to leave the CFL to play for Tirol,” Herron commented. “With his CFL and college experience, he will help us to keep our next quarterback healthy.’

The 26-year-old is originally from Dragoer, Denmark but played his high school football at La Lumiere High School in La Porte, Indiana. From there, he earned a football scholarship to Eastern Michigan University (NCAA D1). The Danish offensive lineman started 49 games for the Eagles between 2016 and 2019, playing both tackle and guard nearing All conference honors in the process.

Nielsen joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2020 but was waived following training camp. Nielsen was then picked up by the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Elks as the second overall pick in the 2021 Global Draft. Nielsen played in 30 games for the Elks starting five CFL games, including starting the final four games of the 2021 season at right tackle.

The massive Scandinavian’s move from the CFL to the ELF is an excellent signing not only for the Raiders Tirol but for the European League of Football as a whole. The pro-ready blocker joins a veteran group up front in Tirol as the Raiders look to challenge their arch-rival Vienna Vikings for the ELF title in 2023.

Watch Nielsen’s interview with the Edmonton Elks here

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