# 2004 Berlin Thunder season

The 2004 Berlin Thunder season was the sixth season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Rick Lantz in his first year, and played its home games at Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. They finished the regular season in first place with a record of nine wins and one loss. In World Bowl XII, Berlin defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 30–24. The victory marked the franchise's third World Bowl championship.

## Offseason
### Free agent draft

2004 Berlin Thunder NFLEL free agent draft selections :
| Draft order | Draft order | Player name | Position | College |
| Round | Choice | Player name | Position | College |
| 1 | 1 | James Thornton | CB | Morris Brown |
| 2 | 7 | T. J. Bingham | DE | Ouichita Baptist |
| 3 | 18 | Yubrenal Isabelle | LB | Virginia |
| 4 | 19 | Troy Andrew | G | Duke |
| 5 | 30 | DeShaun Hill | S | USC |
| 6 | 31 | DeVonte Peterson | DT | Catawba |
| 7 | 42 | Dwayne Pierce | G | LSU |
| 9 | 43 | Mike Malan | FB | Brown |
| 9 | 54 | Oliver Celestin | S | Texas Southern |
| 10 | 55 | Keith Heyward-Johnson | CB | Oregon State |
| 11 | 66 | Jeff Grzeskowiak | T | Akron |
| 12 | 67 | Michael Jennings | WR | Florida State |

## Schedule

| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Results | Game site | Attendance |
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Final score | Team record | Game site | Attendance |
| 1 | Sunday, April 4 | 4:00 p.m. | Scottish Claymores | W 20–14 | 1–0 | Olympic Stadium | 14,257 |
| 2 | Saturday, April 10 | 7:00 p.m. | at Amsterdam Admirals | W 28–17 | 2–0 | Amsterdam ArenA | 10,763 |
| 3 | Sunday, April 18 | 4:00 p.m. | Cologne Centurions | W 35–31 | 3–0 | Olympic Stadium | 12,036 |
| 4 | Saturday, April 24 | 7:00 p.m. | at Rhein Fire | W 14–10 | 4–0 | Arena AufSchalke | 20,242 |
| 5 | Sunday, May 2 | 4:00 p.m. | Amsterdam Admirals | W 33–29 | 5–0 | Olympic Stadium | 12,909 |
| 6 | Saturday, May 8 | 7:00 p.m. | at Cologne Centurions | L 27–28 | 5–1 | RheinEnergieStadion | 10,164 |
| 7 | Sunday, May 16 | 4:00 p.m. | Rhein Fire | W 33–20 | 6–1 | Olympic Stadium | 15,429 |
| 8 | Saturday, May 22 | 7:00 p.m. | at Frankfurt Galaxy | W 31–27 | 7–1 | Waldstadion | 30,812 |
| 9 | Saturday, May 29 | 2:00 p.m. | at Scottish Claymores | W 27–19 | 8–1 | Hampden Park | 9,153 |
| 10 | Sunday, June 6 | 4:00 p.m. | Frankfurt Galaxy | W 41–0 | 9–1 | Olympic Stadium | 19,175 |
| World Bowl XII ||||||||
| 11 | Saturday, June 12 | 6:00 p.m. | Frankfurt Galaxy | W 30–24 | 10–1 | Arena AufSchalke | 35,413 |

## Standings

NFL Europe League :
| Team | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | Home | Road | STK |
| Berlin Thunder | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 289 | 195 | 5–0 | 4–1 | W4 |
| Frankfurt Galaxy | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 212 | 192 | 4–1 | 3–2 | L1 |
| Amsterdam Admirals | 5 | 5 | 0 | .500 | 173 | 191 | 3–2 | 2–3 | W2 |
| Cologne Centurions | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 191 | 201 | 3–2 | 1–4 | W1 |
| Rhein Fire | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | 161 | 178 | 3–2 | 0–5 | L4 |
| Scottish Claymores | 2 | 8 | 0 | .200 | 128 | 197 | 1–4 | 1–4 | L2 |

## Game summaries
### Week 1: vs Scottish Claymores

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Scotland | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Berlin | 0 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
at Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
* Date: Sunday, April 4
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 14,257
* Referee: Gerald Austin

### Week 2: at Amsterdam Admirals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Berlin | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| Amsterdam | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
* Date: Saturday, April 10
* Game time: 7:07 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 10,763
* Referee: Carl Cheffers

### Week 3: vs Cologne Centurions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cologne | 7 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
| Berlin | 21 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
at Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
* Date: Sunday, April 18
* Game time: 4:06 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 12,036
* Referee: Bill Vinovich

### Week 4: at Rhein Fire

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Berlin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Rhein | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
* Date: Saturday, April 24
* Game time: 7:04 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 20,242
* Referee: Gene Steratore

### Week 5: vs Amsterdam Admirals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Amsterdam | 0 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 29 |
| Berlin | 0 | 12 | 7 | 14 | 33 |
at Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
* Date: Sunday, May 2
* Game time: 4:06 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 12,909
* Referee: Ed Hochuli

### Week 6: at Cologne Centurions

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Berlin | 7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
| Cologne | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany
* Date: Saturday, May 8
* Game time: 7:04 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 10,164
* Referee: John Parry

### Week 7: vs Rhein Fire

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rhein | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
| Berlin | 3 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 33 |
at Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
* Date: Sunday, May 16
* Game time: 4:06 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 15,429
* Referee: Carl Cheffers

### Week 8: at Frankfurt Galaxy

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Berlin | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Frankfurt | 0 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
at Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany
* Date: Saturday, May 22
* Game time: 7:08 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 30,812
* Referee: Gerald Austin

### Week 9: at Scottish Claymores

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Berlin | 0 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 27 |
| Scotland | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
* Date: Saturday, May 29
* Game time: 2:05 p.m. BST
* Game attendance: 9,153
* Referee: Walt Anderson

### Week 10: vs Frankfurt Galaxy

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Frankfurt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Berlin | 3 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 41 |
at Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
* Date: Sunday, June 6
* Game time: 4:15 p.m. CEST
* Game attendance: 19,175
* Referee: Bill Vinovich

### World Bowl XII

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Frankfurt | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| Berlin | 7 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 30 |
at Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
* Date: Saturday, June 12
* Game time: 6:06 p.m. CEST
* Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), roof closed
* Game attendance: 35,413
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (FOX): Curt Menefee and Brian Baldinger