| # | 91 |
|---|---|
| Name | Kerim Altunbas |
| Nationality |  Germany |
| Position | Defensive Line |
| Height | 187cm |
| Weight | 115kg |
| Current Team | Pforzheim Wilddogs |
| Past Teams | Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns |
| Leagues | German Football League |
| Seasons | 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| Age | 25 |
Kerim Altunbas is a formidable European American Football Defensive Lineman known for his intense play at the line of scrimmage in Germany’s German Football League (GFL). Weighing in at 115 kg and standing 187 cm tall, his blend of size, strength, and drive has made him a key defensive starter for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns. A player with a clear vision for self-improvement and leadership, Altunbas is determined to establish himself as one of the GFL’s premier sack leaders. Having recently signed with the Pforzheim Wilddogs for the 2026 season, he is poised to take the next step in his career, bringing his experience and high expectations to help elevate the Wilddogs’ defensive front and establish them as a persistent playoff contender.
Previous stations
- –2023: Ludwigsburg Bulldogs
- 2023–2025: Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (GFL)
- 2026: Pforzheim Wilddogs (GFL) (Signed for the 2026 season)
Achievements
Personal Achievements
- Turkish National Team Player.
Other
- Altunbas began playing American Football in 2022, starting relatively late in his career.
- Before football, he practiced martial arts and played soccer.
- His inspiration for starting football came from a TV series.
- He is a devoted fan of the San Francisco 49ers.
- Regarding his time with the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns, he described the team as being “like a family” and praised the coaches as “the best in Germany.”
- He considers his departure from the Unicorns for the Wilddogs a difficult decision, stating he had “experienced a lot” there, “grown as a player and a person,” and “won friends for life,” noting that he was a “starter” who “showed what he can do.”
- Altunbas is driven by a high standard for himself, stating, “The moment comes sometime when you have to take the next step,” and that he wants to “always keep developing” and “push myself to the next level.”
- He set the personal goal to “establish myself as one of the top sack leaders in the league” and to “leave my mark on the field” with the Wilddogs.
- He is vocal about his intent to lead at Pforzheim: “I don’t come to just tag along—I come to lead and to deliver.”
- In 2023, he tore the flexor tendon in his ring finger before the season and missed the majority of the season due to this injury.
Credits
- Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns Roster: https://unicorns.de/team/gfl-team/roster
- Kerim Altunbas joins Pforzheim Wilddogs – Foot Bowl: https://footbowl.eu/kerim-altunbas-schliesst-sich-den-pforzheim-wilddogs-an/
- Kerim Altunbas player profile – Foot Bowl: https://footbowl.eu/kerim-altunbas/
- Kerim Altunbas at Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns 2023: https://www.american-football.com/news/johannes-rust-und-kerim-altunbas-verstaerken-die-haller-verteidigung-in-der-saison-2023-5065
- Game photo (No. 91) – Alamy: https://www.alamy.com/walkon-unicorns-mit-kerim-altunbas-91-de-schwaebisch-hall-unicorns-ger-schwaebisch-hall-unicorns-vs-ifm-ravensburg-razorbacks-american-football-gfl-saison-2024-week-8-29062024-foto-eibner-pressefotoflorian-wolf-image611992153.html
- Game Report Dresden Monarchs vs Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (Fumble TD): https://amfoo.de/news/deutliche-unicorns-auswaertsniederlage-in-dresden/
- Game Report Dresden Monarchs vs Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns (Fumble TD confirmation): https://gfl.info/dresden-monarchs-bleiben-von-ueber-7-000-fans-ungeschlagen/
