| # | 8 |
|---|---|
| Name | Justin Schlesinger |
| Nationality |  Germany |
| Position | Wide Receiver |
| Height | 180cm |
| Weight | 75kg |
| Past Teams | Cologne Centurions, Rhein Fire |
| Leagues | European League of Football, European Football Alliance |
| Seasons | 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Age | 26 |
Justin Schlesinger is a highly-regarded German Wide Receiver known for his speed, sure hands, and significant impact across multiple levels of European American Football. After developing his skills in the German Football League (GFL 2), he made a successful transition to the professional European League of Football (ELF), spending two years with the Cologne Centurions and three seasons (2023-2025) with the dominant Rhein Fire franchise. A versatile athlete, Schlesinger has proven he can deliver clutch performances, including a 5-yard opening-drive touchdown in a major win against the Sea Devils in 2025. Now, in a deeply personal move, he is returning to his roots, having signed to play the 2026 season with the Langenfeld Longhorns, a club where he plans to combine his playing career with an increased focus on youth coaching and development.
Credits
- Justin Schlesinger – Foot Bowl: https://footbowl.eu/justin-schlesinger/
- Schlesinger – European League of Football | ELF Official Site: https://europeanleague.football/players/0143db45-73da-4bfa-92b6-108f61115d58
- Auch Schlesinger wechselt die Rhein-Seite – football-aktuell: https://www.football-aktuell.de/cgi-bin/news.pl?artikel=1675936123802822
- Wide Receiver verlässt Rhein Fire – Foot Bowl: https://footbowl.eu/wide-receiver-verlaesst-rhein-fire/
- Rhein Fire with statement win against Sea Devils – European League of Football (Touchdown mention): https://europeanleague.football/news/rhein-fire-with-statement-win-against-sea-devils-3422
- Fire weiter auf Erfolgskurs (Touchdown mention) – Rhein Fire: https://www.rheinfire.eu/fire-weiter-auf-erfolgskurs/
- German Football League 2 – Langenfeld Longhorns – GFL2 (2019 Stats): http://stats.gfl.info/gfl2/2019/ll.htm
- Red Cap Football – Justin Schlesinger – YouTube (Interview content): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_imMeO366E
Previous stations
- 2010–2018: Langenfeld Longhorns Youth (Player)
- 2019–2020: Langenfeld Longhorns (GFL 2) (Player)
- 2021–2022: Cologne Centurions (ELF) (Player)
- 2023–2025: Rhein Fire (ELF) (Player)
- 2026: Langenfeld Longhorns (Player)
- Coach: Several years as a youth coach for the Langenfeld Longhorns.
- Coach: Youth coach for the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) State Selection Team, the GreenMachine.
Achievements
Team Achievements
- European League of Football Champion with Rhein Fire (2023).
- European League of Football Champion with Rhein Fire (2024).
Personal Achievements
- Longhorns Juniors Team MVP (6 times).
- Longhorns Rookie of the Year (2019).
- Wide Receiver Coach for the Longhorns U13 team that won the NRW Championship.
Selected Statistics
- 2022 (Cologne Centurions, ELF): Recorded 19 receptions for 195 yards and one touchdown in 11 games.
- 2024 (Rhein Fire, ELF): Recorded 21 receptions for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns in 8 games.
- 2019 (Langenfeld Longhorns, GFL 2): Registered 1 rushing attempt for 0 yards in 11 games. (Note: Only rushing stats were available for 2019 GFL 2 season).
Other
- Schlesinger’s signing with Rhein Fire in 2023 was described as a “dream come true” because the first football game he ever watched as a child was a game of the former Rhein Fire franchise.
- He stated that his time in the ELF (with Cologne and Rhein Fire) has been “the best years of my football career” and has helped him “grow athletically and personally,” for which he is “very grateful.”
- His return to the Langenfeld Longhorns in 2026 is driven by a desire to return home, stating that “it was always clear to me that I would eventually return home. This year felt right.”
- He plans to continue developing his game at Langenfeld, saying he has “personal goals in football” and believes he can achieve them there.
- He also sees his return as a chance to give back to the Longhorns’ youth program, calling it a “matter of honor” to support the youth.
- He stressed that his departure from Rhein Fire was “not a decision against Fire, but a conscious decision for the Longhorns.”
- He also spent time in the 2021/2022 offseason training with the Rhein Fire WR Corps while still playing for the Cologne Centurions.
- In an interview, he discussed the experience of playing in front of a 30,000-person crowd in the ELF compared to the 100 parents watching him in youth football or the 1,000–1,200 spectators at a GFL 2 derby in Langenfeld.
- He is currently finishing his Sports Studies degree and has started his own coaching business in the meantime.
- As a player at Rhein Fire, he was part of the offense that set a new team record for the “best half-time performance” in the ELF, achieving a 45-12 lead and throwing 6 touchdowns to five different receivers against the Paris Musketeers in 2023.
