July 25, 2013 – For Daniel DeBonnett, as with other members of Concordia University Chicago's football program over the past few years, playing football beyond the college level has become more of a reachable goal. But DeBonnett's quest to continue playing will soon take him to a place where football - American or "gridiron" football - is still very much in the developing stages.
The former Cougar outside linebacker, who graduated Concordia May 11 with a degree in communications, is headed to Brazil where the Liga de Futebol Americano (LFA) is preparing for its inaugural season, which will begin on September 21 and run through November. DeBonnett is one of 42 international players under contract who is currently taking part in interviews with the league's coaching staffs.
"American football has been growing in Brazil the last few years," says DeBonnett who mentions the impact of televised NFL games as one of the contributing factors. The sport is still relatively new to Brazil with the first full-pad football game having been played in 2008. The first-year league currently stands at six teams in five cities – Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Cuiaba and Florianopolis.
"It's great to have the chance to play football at another level," says DeBonnett, who played the 2013 season with the Windy City Hitmen, a member of the Alliance Indoor Football League (AIFL). "You always want to grab an opportunity like this and see where it takes you." That could also be said of the change in culture that awaits DeBonnett. "This will be my first time out of the country, but I'm looking forward to experiencing their way of life. This is a chance you don't get very often."
DeBonnett, 26, played three years for the Cougars after transferring from the University of Illinois in 2010. He started all 11 games in 2012 and was a major contributor to the 10-1 team that made its first NCAA III playoff appearance. DeBonnett recorded 94 tackles for his career including 59 in 2012 and tied for the team lead this past year with five quarterback sacks.
"I am very happy to have been a part of the Cougar football program," says DeBonnett. "They helped me prepare to play at the arena football level and now take on this new challenge."
