Tim Hänni in an interview: a Swiss on his way to the NFL

With the Hamburg Sea Devils, Tim Hänni is in the final of the European League of Football (ELF) and will have the chance to recommend himself for the NFL shortly afterwards at the International Combine.

128 kilograms distributed over 196 centimetres: Tim Hänni is an impressive presence on the field when he is chasing the opposing quarterback or stopping the run of the running back from as a defensive lineman. The 25-year-old from Köniz near Bern has joined the Hamburg Sea Devils in spring 2022. In doing so, he has shown a lucky hand and chosen the most successful team in the current season of the European League of Football (ELF) - the pan-European league in American football. The Swiss international can crown the season with a title at the end of September and then has the chance to make the leap to the US professional league NFL.

In the twelve regular season games, Tim Hänni was one of the pillars of the Hamburg Sea Devils' overall very well-positioned defence with 41 tackles. He brought down opposing ball carriers 14.5 times for a loss of space - including the quarterback 6.5 times. (0.5 points are recorded in the statistics when two players make the tackle together). Once he even stopped the offence in its own end zone, scoring a safety - two points - for his team.
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Tim, how did you get into football?
It was in 2011 when I went camping with my family in Spain. I met other young people there, chilled out a bit on the beach. There was - from my perspective at the time - a huge guy there. His name was Benjamin. I asked him: "What kind of sport do you do?" He played football for the Grizzlies in Bern. So I said to myself, I'll start right after the holidays. And I've been at it ever since.

Which stations did you go through in Switzerland?
I was always with the Grizzlies. I had to go straight into the U19s at the age of 14. At that time, there was no U16 in Bern, the sport was still too unknown. After five years in the U19s, I then switched to the Grizzlies' fighting team, the senior team, when I was 19. At 17, I also made it to the U19 national team and played there for two years. After that, I had to re-qualify for the men's national team.

What has been your greatest success so far?
That's easy. That was in 2016 when we became Swiss champions with the Grizzlies. (Which the Grizzlies did again in 2022, editor's note.) Unfortunately, we weren't as successful with the national team during that time. Offense and defence are well-positioned there, but Switzerland lacks the quarterback to keep up with the top nations.
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How did you end up in Hamburg with the Sea Devils?
I wanted a new challenge after last season with the Grizzlies. I wanted to play in a little bit higher league. I then created a profile on "Europlayers", a placement site for football players, and then also had talks with several teams from the German Football League. That's how I got in touch with Kendral Ellison, the Sea Devils' defensive coordinator. After a few Zoom meetings, I immediately had a very good connection with him. My heart just said, "Hamburg, I have to go to Hamburg," and I listened to it and it was the best decision ever. There are very cool people here. The coaching staff is competent and sympathetic and I am better than last year. That was the goal.

What does a typical week look like for you as a player during the season?
. It's a full-time job here in Hamburg. Monday starts with fitness training. Then in the afternoon is the video meeting. There we prepare the match from the previous weekend with video analyses and also watch scenes from the next opponent in preparation for the match next weekend. On Tuesday morning, fitness is on the agenda again and in the afternoon we go to the training ground. Wednesday and Thursday look exactly the same. Friday is a bit more relaxed. There is only fitness and then some recovery. Our partner gym also has a spa area. That's really good. In addition, there are more meetings for different parts of the team and position groups. In between, there is always some self-study. If there is still time, I watch videos of games on my own to recognise my mistakes and discover weaknesses of the opponents.
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With only one defeat in twelve games, your team has the best season record in the league. In the semi-finals, the Tirol Raiders had no chance. How do you see your chances in the final in Klagenfurt on 25 September against the Vienna Vikings? It is, after all, the first meeting with the Sea Devils and the Vikings were already considered the title favourites before the season.
That's exactly why we love the finals. We want to prove that we are on par with the Vikings. In my opinion, we are even better. Our chances are good. We have two weeks to prepare and we are really trying to get everything out of it. We have a very cool team. That goes for the offence and defence. And we have an excellent coaching staff that is really working hard to prepare us perfectly and, for example, to optimise the signals of the quarterback. So our chances are very, very good.

In October, you're invited to the NFL's International Combine in London, where you'll run drills in front of NFL scouts. Did you have to apply for it or did you suddenly receive an invitation?A scout approached me. He wrote to me via WhatsApp that he would like to talk to me on the phone. We chatted a bit the next day. He wanted some background information. Where did I start? Where have I been? How long have I been playing? Height, weight, etc. I still had to fill out an NFL form and then heard nothing more. About three weeks later, just before the official announcement of the International Combine on Instagram and Twitter, I got an email that I was invited. That was of course very, very awesome.

Was that a scout from the NFL in general or from a specific team?
That's a scout from the IPP, the NFL's International Pathway Program. He is responsible for Europe and looks at European players.
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Do you prepare specifically for the Combine, or its drills?
. That's difficult. It's only a week after the ELF final. I'm in shape through the season, but 14 games over the summer also leaves its mark. The Combine is very much about athleticism. I might be a little weaker and slower than I was at the beginning of the season. I'm trying to mask that and get some speed into it by the beginning of October. But it will be difficult to prepare meticulously.

What chances do you think you have at the International Combine?
It's difficult to say, but that's exactly why the Combine exists. That's where the scouts see who they can and can't work with in the NFL. I can't say where I stand. I'll go in there blind and do my best. The rest will fall into place.

Should you convince at the Combine and make the jump to the USA, you would be the first Swiss in the NFL?
Yes, I would be the first Swiss. Some people say that Ben Roethlisberger, the former quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is Swiss through seven corners and some ancestors. But that doesn't count.

Once again, back to the ELF. The league continues to grow, starting next year with a team in Switzerland, the Helvetic Guards in Zurich. Will that push football enthusiasm in Switzerland even further or is it already great enough?
No, the enthusiasm is definitely not at its limit. Interest in the sport is growing steadily and is now, of course, being pushed even further by the ELF team in Switzerland. The media presence around the Helvetic Guards will once again bring the topic of football in Switzerland to the fore and that makes me very happy.

Finally, a little look into the crystal ball: If the NFL career doesn't work out, will we see you again next year in Hamburg and will you become a local hero in Zurich?I'll be honest, I don't know yet. If it doesn't work out with the IPP, I'll go back to Switzerland and work a bit away from football. And then I'll start negotiating with different teams again for next season. Of course, I'll see what I'm up for. Where is the team good, how is the organisation? But that will be decided later. Now the final comes first and then I'll look further.

Thank you for the interview and as a Hamburger I wish you good luck in the ELF final.