Opinion
Austrian-born Bernhard Raimann on brink of improbable NFL career
Bernhard Raimann was 13 the primary time he even noticed a kind of “egg-shaped balls” being tossed about in Austria however he swiftly fell for American-style soccer.
As soon as a large receiver for the Vienna Vikings membership staff in Austria, Raimann made the trek to America and have become a decent finish for Central Michigan and at last a towering left deal with. Now, he’s on the point of an NFL profession.
The 24-year-old former overseas trade pupil is on the Senior Bowl and projected as one of many high offensive tackles within the upcoming NFL draft.
It’s been a protracted journey — actually — and one the place he needed to pack on kilos for a place change. However Raimann now appears to be proper the place he belongs: as a 6-foot-6, 304-pound deal with with a promising soccer future.
“I began taking part in soccer as most youngsters in Europe do,” he stated. “However I used to be form of getting sick of soccer. I used to be getting uninterested in it. It wasn’t bodily sufficient for me, so I used to be in search of one thing new.”
Then a 13-year-old Raimann noticed some buddies throwing the ball round; the primary time he stated he had even seen a soccer.
He rapidly acquired hooked on the game and joined the membership staff in Austria on his 14th birthday, taking part in receiver and cornerback for the Vikings. However he didn’t need to cease there, so he headed some 4,500 miles away to Michigan as a overseas trade pupil a 12 months later.
Nationwide Workforce offensive lineman Cole Unusual of UT-Chattanooga and offensive lineman Bernhard Raimann of Central Michigan run via drills throughout observe for the Senior Bowl NCAA school soccer recreation Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in Cell, Ala.
(AP Photograph/Butch Dill)
“I used to be like, hey, I need to play beneath the Friday night time lights,” Raimann stated. “I assumed that was going to be superior, which it was.”
The expertise satisfied him he wished to proceed taking part in in school. As soon as at Central Michigan, Raimann began to see the NFL as a possible vacation spot.
Dwelling with former Central Michigan participant Rollie Ferris and his household — together with Rollie’s son and present Chippewas guard Tyden Ferris — Raimann performed at Delton-Kellogg Highschool.
Raimann was adequate to land a scholarship and after serving a compulsory stint in Austria’s navy, he performed two seasons for the Chippewas at tight finish, the place he was principally used for blocking
He moved to left deal with within the spring of 2020 however solely acquired in three practices at his new place earlier than COVID-19 shut exercises down. The staff solely performed six video games that season, giving him a few season and a half of expertise.
“He clearly had the body and the toes to achieve success at that place,” Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain stated this week. “And never solely that, he had the intelligence to be taught it.
“I consider all the blokes that I’ve seen exit, this man’s upside, I actually assume he’s going to be approach higher in 12 months 4-5-6-7 than he was in Yr 1, as a result of he’s nonetheless form of studying the place.”
Raimann weighed simply 237 kilos in June 2019 however reported again for the next season at about 285-290, Central Michigan power coach Joel Welsh stated. He ultimately was in a position to maintain regular at about 304.
Welsh stated he’s nonetheless maintained sufficient athleticism at that dimension to play tight finish in some capability. The power coach stated Raimann took a strongly regimented strategy to consuming with a purpose to pack on the kilos.
“He’s a rarity. I’ve not been round that man that has been such a self-motivated, impartial man,” Welsh stated. “The phrase to make use of is professional. He’s only a professional.”
Raimann graduated with a double main in actuarial science and statistics and a 3.80 grade level common in Might 2021. Then he began an accelerated grasp’s program in utilized statistics and analytics.
However Raimann could not should put these levels to make use of simply but. He’s considered a possible early spherical draft decide and drew loads of consideration from scouts after that offensive line transfer.
“I’ll put it this fashion, there have been a bunch of men I hadn’t seen in a very long time,” McElwain, a former Florida and Colorado State coach, stated of the NFL scouts flocking across the Chippewas program. “And I used to be like, ‘What the hell are you doing in Central Michigan?’”
In fact, folks may need puzzled the identical about Raimann at one level.
