UNM football: Former Lobo Jordan signs with European League

Dec. 1—Former University of New Mexico quarterback Lamar Jordan has signed with the Hamburg Sea Devils of the European League of Football, Jordan and the team announced on Wednesday.

"overseas NBA route!" Jordan tweeted, a reference to professional basketball players who've made NBA rosters after playing in Europe. "I'll be back #NFL."

The ELF completed its inaugural season in September. The Sea Devils went 8-4, losing 32-30 to the Frankfurt Galaxy in the league championship game.

Jordan, an option quarterback at UNM from 2014-17, signed a free-agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons in 2018 and stayed in camp until the final roster cut on Sept. 1. He never got an opportunity with any of the U.S. minor leagues — AAF, XFL, Spring League — that came and went after his college career.

In June, Jordan signed with the Spokane Shock of the Indoor Football League. In four games with the Shock, he caught two passes for 20 yards — both against the Duke City Gladiators — and returned 12 kickoffs for an average of 22.3 yards. He returned one kick 50 yards for a touchdown, took another back to the opposition's 6-yard line and had another TD return called back due to a penalty.

In an interview posted on the ELF website, Jordan said he'd learned about the league from Anthony Mahoungou, a Frenchman and a former Purdue wide receiver whom he'd worked out with in California. Mahoungou played for the champion Galaxy this season.

"I reached out to a couple of teams in the European League of Football and the Sea Devils were the only team that actually called and contacted me all within the same day. So, I had a good feeling about the organization," Jordan said.

In his four seasons at UNM, Jordan passed for 3,124 yards and rushed for 2,503, accounting for 37 touchdowns. He piqued the Falcons' interest by running a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at UNM's Pro Day in 2018.

This season, the ELF fielded eight teams based in Germany, Poland and Spain. Four more teams — two in Austria, one in Germany and one in Turkey— are expected to be added next season.

Only four U.S. players are permitted on an ELF roster. This year's Sea Devils roster featured quarterback Jadrian Clark (Weber State), running back Xavier Johnson (South Alabama) and defensive back Justin Rogers (UTEP).