Ottender in the Panthers offense!

Ott Eric Ottender, the first Estonian football player recruited to an NCAA Division 1 program, has joined Panthers Wrocław. Ottender will play as a wide receiver.

Why Panthers Wrocław?

Ottender has been following the development of American football in Europe for some time, with Panthers Wrocław catching his attention early on. "Wrocław has been on my radar since it was announced that there is going to be an ELF team in Poland. After I left UMass, I was almost instantly contacted by the Panthers, and the way the front office approached everything was very professional, which immediately appealed to me. It is clear that our ideas of how professional football should look like in Europe match," he says.

The geographical proximity to Estonia and a recent ELF rule change recognizing Baltic players as "homegrown" for Poland were also key factors in his decision. "The geographical closeness to home and the ELF rule change that now includes Baltic players as homegrowns for Poland gave me the last push to become a Panther."

Goals for the season

Ottender has clear ambitions for the upcoming season. When asked about his goals, he responds confidently: "Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nuff said."

Strengths and areas for improvement

Ottender believes that his biggest strength is his technical proficiency, which he developed through years of training alone. "I believe I’m technically very sound as I have had to train alone for the majority of my career. This has allowed me to focus on every single step in all of my movements. I also believe that the experience I have from playing FBS football is something that sets me apart from most other players in the league."

Looking ahead, he aims to improve his performance in contested 50/50 ball situations. "The thing I’m working on is my 50/50 balls, which would allow me to play outside my frame even more."

Football inspirations

Ottender takes inspiration from a variety of wide receivers. "The receivers I love to watch vary a lot. I like to watch Cooper Kupp for his technicality and IQ, but I also love watching the play-making ability of Stefon Diggs. I enjoy the creativity of Davante Adams, but I also like the raw athleticism of AJ Brown."

He also looks up to his former teammates at UMass, Jakobie Keeney-James and Jaquan Gibson. "Both of them will definitely be seen in the NFL in the coming years."

Key achievements

Ottender highlights several significant accomplishments in his career. "I am the first Estonian football player that was recruited to a D1 school to play college football. On a recruiting trip to Europe, 247Sports mentioned me as a Top 5 offensive prospect in Europe after a European All-Star PPI camp in Essen."

He was also selected to the NFL Academy, graduating a year later. "Playing at Georgia in front of 90 thousand people is also a nice thing to remember for the rest of my life," he recalls.

Keys to success in the ELF

"Accountability and sacrifice," Ottender emphasizes. "Everybody has to be accountable for the assignment, alignment, and execution, but also sacrifice for each other. The brotherhood between the players and the willingness to put your body on the line for the man beside you is tremendously important in the game we play."

He also stresses the importance of finding the right game plan. "Finding the right gameplan where everybody can shine and play their best game is crucial for reaching the goals that we have. This also includes understanding when and where to let your teammate succeed. Lastly, the raw hunger to win and do whatever is necessary to bring home the W is what is going to bring the championship to Wrocław."

A message to Panthers Nation

"I can’t describe how excited I am to join Panthers Nation! I will give my all to you every single weekend and I know my teammates are going to do the same. We are not going to play for the division title, the playoffs, or whatever else. We are going for the championship. Let’s make history. Go Panthers!!!"

Ott Eric Ottender is ready to compete and looks forward to the support of the fans in the upcoming European League of Football season.