Paris Musketeers sign British veteran OL Lewis Thomas

| American Football | 11/29/2023

The Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football (ELF) have signed British offensive lineman and league veteran Lewis Thomas for the 2024 season.

Thomas began his senior football career with the Tamworth Phoenix in the English Midlands. After two successful seasons with the Phoenix, Thomas received his first professional European contract with the Saarland Hurricanes of Germany’s GFL2. Thomas was an integral part of the number one offense in the GFL2 and earned MVP honors for the 2019 season.

The 6’ 3, 270-pound Brit stayed in Germany following the Covid-19 season but opted for German Football League title contenders, the Potsdam Royals. Thomas again was part of an outstanding offensive line in 2021 that helped form the top rushing attack in the league. The Royals reached the GFL semifinals that season.

Thomas was beginning to get noticed around this time and earned himself a call up from ELF powerhouse Hamburg Sea Devils as well as an invite to the CFL Global Combine in March 2022. He was recognized as one of the best offensive lineman in the league but once again his team fell just a few scores short of the championship.

Spending the 2023 season with ELF newcomers, the Milano Seamen, proved to be a deviation from Thomas’ otherwise winning career choices. The team struggled from the get go due to a number of holes in the roster and ended up going 2–10. Despite their poor record, Thomas was once again recognized as one of the league’s best lineman.

Thomas, who also holds French citizenship, will now be joining a Musketeers team that  went through significant growing pains in 2023. After much hype around their star-studded roster, the team struggled early and lost to teams with far less talent. However, their offense did begin to gel in the back end of the season and will feel confident with Thomas, a veteran who is used to winning, anchoring the offensive line.

Daniel Mackenzie is a Press Association graduate who works in journalism and communications in the third sector. Daniel began playing football for the London Warriors and Team Great Britain and has since played across Europe.