The French Elite league kicks off its 2016 season this weekend with the Saint-Ouen Cougars set to defend the title after an outstanding run in 2015.
The Cougars did not drop a game all season winning the French championship after an opening game tie and are looking to dominate again in 2016. However, they will face stiff competition.
The six top teams from 2015 return and are joined by the top team of division 2, La Queue-en-Brie Gladiateurs. Two teams left the division, the Nîmes Centurions and the Molosses d’Asnières-sur-Seine.
The Pessac Kangourous were scheduled to play but pulled out in January due to budgetary issues.
Here then is a look at the seven teams competing for the French Diamond Helmet championship.
Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
And their first signing showed they were serious as they brought in Anthony Dable, arguably the best receiver/returner in Europe. However, Dable is currently preparing for an NFL tryout in the United States and will not be available anytime soon.
Nevertheless, new head coach Jesse Thompson has a great stable of players including former LSU star quarterback Ryan Perilloux, who has seen preseason action with the New York Giants.
Perilloux will have plenty of targets to throw to including national team receiver Guillaume Rioux who has enjoyed a superb career in Germany with the Dresden Monarchs.
Changes in Argonautes for 2016
Arrivals: Anthony DABLE (FR, WR, New Yorker Braunschweig Lions, Germany), Johan DEBRABANT (FR, DB, Hurricanes Montpellier, D2), Robert Haynes (Import, USA, RB, Eastern Illinois), Jason LENGUDIANA (FR, RB Iron Mask Cannes D2), Sandy MARCIN (FR, WR, Centurions Nîmes D2), Michael MAYINDOU (FR, RB, La Courneuve Flash), Willy N’KISHI (FR, DL, Bear Toulouse D2), Ryan Perilloux (Import, QB, New Orelans VooDoo, USA), Sébastien Sejean (FR, DB, Monarchs Dresden, Germany), Guillaume Rioux (WR, Monarchs Dresden Germany), Jesse Thompson (USA head coach)
Departures: Adrian LYNDA (FR, WR / DB / KR, Hurricanes Montpellier D2), Paul Vincent MIRAVAL (head coach and technical director), Jimmie Russell (Import, QB, Eagles Troyes D2), Robin SEBEILLE (FR, TE, Cougars Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône)[tps_title]Fédération Française de Football Américain[/tps_title]
Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône Cougars
Head coach Xavier Mas will look to quarterback Matt Schilz (Bowling Green) to lead an attack which led the league in 2015. The top offensive line in France last year has lost a couple of key members which may make life a little tougher for Schilz.
But the team has shored up on defense especially with the return of David Larocuelle (DLM), Vincent Goberville (LB) and Benjamin Morizet (CB) and reinforcements in the name of Jerome Arnoux (S).
Changes in Cougars for 2016
Arrivals: Vincent BACQUET (FR, DB, U19) Salem Bensebaa (FR, OL, returns to the club), Marc BONY (FR, WR, Molosses Asnieres D2), Antoine DROISSART (FR, K / P, Leopards Rouen D2), Enzo FRAIOLI (FR, WR, Vincent BACQUET (FR, DB, U19), Vincent Goberville (FR, LB, return to the club), Jonathan GRIGNON (FR, LB, Scorpions Compiègne D4), Mathieu Lanchais (FR , LB, Knights of Orleans D3), Stephane MANCANDIANG (FR, RB, Molosses Asnieres D2), Benjamin MORIZET (FR, CB, return to the club), Micah ROBINSON (Import, DLM, Syracuse University, USA) Robin SEBEILLE (FR, TE, Argonauts of Aix-en-Provence), Matt SCHILZ (USA, QB, Bowling Green, USA)
Departures: Luigi BELLETEIX (FR, OL, stop), Walter Gomes (FR, OL, stop), Florent HIREL (FR, WER, off), Mathieu Giulia (FR, DB, stop), Freeman MAITREL (FR, LB, CEGEP Thetford-Mines, Canada), Adrian NOGUERA (FR, DB, reserve team), Tanner PRICE (import USA, QB, back in the US), Damien ROSETTA (FR, DB, Black Knights Orebro, Sweden), Mickaël GREENHOUSE (FR, WR, stop), Carl TEMBO (FR, LB, off), Tim WILLMAN ((import USA, DE, back in the US).[tps_title]Fédération Française de Football Américain[/tps_title]
Thonon-les-Bains Black Panthers
Albano inherits a solid team, mostly intact from the 2015 season which saw the Black Panthers reach the French final again. The loss of running back Stephen Yepmo will hurt but Albano has signed quarterback Sam Poulos (Grinnell College) along with linebacker PJ Germaud (Idaho State) as well as the Badoux brothers (Switzerland), WR/DB Robin Aligenes (Canada), WR Vincent Begou (Canada), LB Theo Knight (Canada).
Although Thonon lost the French final to the Cougars and inexplicably lost twice to the Nice Dauphins during the season, they are expected to compete for the championship again. Albano is known as a tactician and with the club’s legacy of winning in the past decade, he aims to continue.
Changes in Black Panthers for 2016
Arrivals: Skip ALBANO (USA head coach), Robin ALIGENES (FR, WR/DB, Cégep de Thetford-Mines, Canada), Abdoulaye BATHILY (FR, Bisons Besançon D4), Benjamin BADOUX (TE / WR, Rhinos Monthey, Switzerland), Samuel BADOUX (DB, Rhinos Monthey, Switzerland), Vincent BEGOU (WR, University of Sherbrooke Canada), Arnaud BESSON (FR, back USA), Andreas BETZAS (FR, RB, Spartans of Amiens D2) Niels DUPLANY (FR, LB, Gones Lyon D3), PJ GERMAUD (VHS, LB, Idaho State, USA), Theo KNIGHT (FR, LB, Cegep de Chicoutimi), Sophina Ouanda (FR, TE / LB, ex -Warriors Avignon), Rémy Perron (FR, CB, Besançon Bisons D4), Hugo POINTILLART (assistant coach), Sam POULOS (VHS, QB, Grinnell College, USA), Ulrich Sylvestre (FR, OLM, Corsairs Evry D2), Marco VOLERY (SUI, RB, Basel Gladiators, Switzerland)
Departures: Mathieu BRUGIERE (QB / WR, Meteora Fontenay / Bois D2), Larry Legault (CAN, head coach Seahawks Geneva, Switzerland), Oktay Tulan (FR, WR, Leopards D2), Stephen YEPMO (FR, RB , Seahawks Geneva, Switzerland)[tps_title]Fédération Française de Football Américain[/tps_title]
Nice Dauphins
This year, Nice has brought in running back Rondell White (West Chester University (Pa.), a Div. II All-American. Head coach Yannick Fattorini has also shored up the team’s offensive and defensive lines signing Ladislav Klimek and Bernard Praum from the Czech Republic.
Quarterback Sullivan Silverio will be one of the only starting French signal callers in the league this year. He has been with the club throughout his entire football career.
Canadian Louis-Simon Nadeau (University of Sherbrooke, CIS) is another addition to the defensive/offensive line. Nadeau attended the CFL Combine in 2015.
Changes in Dauphins for 2016
Arrivals: Ladislav KLIMEK (TCH, LM, Steelers Ostrava, Czech Republic), Louis-Simon NADEAU (CAN Import, LM, University of Sherbrooke, Canada), Bernard Praum (TCH, LM, Black Panthers of Prague, Czech Republic) , Rondell WHITE (Import, USA, RB, West Chester University)
Departures: no major movement announced for the moment
Les Flash de la Courneuve
The team has gone in a slightly different direction this year adding mainly French players to the squad. Most have been recruited from the lower division teams from the Paris region.
But will it be enough to stay at the level of the best teams in the National Division 1? That remains to be seen…
Changes in the Flash for 2016
Arrivals: Imad Abdallah-MAMY (RB, Conquerors of Caen) Brahim ADJA (DB Dragons Paris), Kevin Barbier (QB / WR, Dragons Paris), Jeremy BRIERE (OL, Red Devils Villepinte), Tristan CHAPLET ( DB Sannois Gauls), Carlos DOS SANTOS (Monarchs Saint-Denis), Kevin Eleizer (DB, Kiowas Garches), Steve HAPPI (RB Molosses Asnieres) Rayane MAHTALLA (DLM, Meteora Fontenay / Bois) Joachim MININ (DB, Musketeers Chatenay / Malabry), Stéphane MOINET (LB, Molosses Asnieres), Jean-Charles Moukouri (RB Molosses Asnieres), Benjamin QUIGNARD (LB, Kiowas Garche), Valentin ROBERT ( QB/K, Gaulois Sannois) Yasser SAID-SOIHLI (DE, Quarks Villebon-Longjumeau), Thomas SFAR (Monarchs Saint-Denis), Edouard SFAR (Monarchs Saint-Denis), Charles Irjah Surpin (LB, Meteora Fontenay/Bois)
Departures: Michael MAYINDOU (FR, RB, Argonauts of Aix-en-Provence), Moustapha SENE (FR, QB, Templars Elancourt)[tps_title]Fédération Française de Football Américain[/tps_title]
Elancourt Templiers
They will be in tough again in 2016 as they will find themselves in a battle with the La Queue-en-Brie Gladiateurs to avoid the cellar.
Elancourt has opted to play with a tandem of French quarterbacks including Moustapha Sene who they pried away from the Flash.
Changes in the Templiers for 2016
Arrivals: Guillaume Bazile (FR, DB, Molosses Asnieres D2), Alain CURTIS (FR, OL, Leopards Rouen D2), Jeremy GIRARD (FR, OL, Gaulois Sannois D3), Jay REDDIC (DB, Sacramento State, USA), Moustapha SENE (FR, QB, La Courneuve Flash)
Departures: no major player or coach departures.[tps_title]Fédération Française de Football Américain[/tps_title]
La Queue-en-Brie Gladiateurs
This season will be different for them and they will have to adjust and learn to handle defeats. Despite the loss of their import quarterback and receiver, the Gladiateurs have signed two defensive players in linebackers Cameron Nowsu (Southern Methodist University) and Mathieu Masseau (Laval University).
The season may well be long for La Queue-en-Brie as in the two tuneup games against Division 2 opponents they came away with a tie against the Asnieres Hounds and a loss to the Chatenay-Malabry Musketeers.
Changes in the Gladiateurs for 2016
Arrivals: Brice JACQUES-ANDRE-COQUIN * (FR, WR, Corsairs Evry D2), Mathieu MASSEAU (Import, Canada, LB, Laval University) Cameron NOWSU (VHS, LB, Southern Methodist University, USA)
Departures: Samuel Coste (FR, LB, Red Devils Villepinte D3), Cyril Leiterer (FR, S, Red Devils Villepinte D3), Lyle Negron (Import, USA, QB, back in the US), Montrel Richardson (WR, back in the US).