From the ACSL to the AFLE: "What the heck, no way, that's not true"
Philipp Voith has been part of the Vienna Vikings since July. Fans of the Austrian college league ACSL remember the 25-year-old as a player for the TU Robots. The wide receiver spoke exclusively with First Down Magazine about his journey to the AFLE.
On July 2, 2026, Philipp Voith's life turned upside down: the 1.88-meter-tall and 85-kilogram wide receiver was now officially part of the gameday roster for the reigning AFLE champion Vienna Vikings. Just a few months prior, the former TU Robots pass catcher could only imagine what it would be like to participate in a training session with the team lead by Head Coach Jordan Neuman.
A message in the spring from Lenard Oberladstätter (Football Operations of the Vienna Vikings) initiated his eventual signing. Just four years earlier, Voith was a complete football novice who played his very first game in the ACSL and had to learn the craft of a wide receiver from scratch.
The Path to Football
Football is the second love of the Purkersdorf native. During his teenage years, he first discovered handball, ending that career around the same time he graduated high school. Even as a student at the TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), he initially wanted nothing to do with competitive sports.
However, as luck would have it, the NFL caught his eye on the TV screen and hooked him on the sport. "Within two months at the TU, I found out that the Robots had their own team," the now 25-year-old recalls of his first contact with the team.
"Worked My Butt Off"
Before his first plays as a Robots player, he had "zero clue about football." He wasn't used to having to memorize playbooks and asked his fellow wide receivers Alexander Köbel and Paul Pilwax for help. What Voith lacked on paper, the 1.88-meter receiver made up for in practice with a true "last man standing" mentality. "When it came to speed or strength, I worked my absolute butt off," he remembers.
This attitude of always wanting to give 100 percent and more quickly made him a starter under Head Coach Chris Oberpertinger. "Because of that, I was able to gain a lot of experience very quickly." Under quarterback Josef Kastner, Voith rapidly developed into one of the team's favorite targets.
Oberpertinger remembers his former wide receiver's beginnings very well: "Philipp started playing with us and had his ups and downs. But over time, he developed into a top player distinguished by his speed and ambition."
"An Opportunity Like This Is Rare"
Voith made his debut in front of friends and family on April 10, 2022. "We played against the Uni Wien Emperors in freezing rain and lost narrowly." The Lower Austrian started for the first time a few weeks later in the rivalry game against the WU Tigers. "The field looked like a plowed field, and we played in front of 500 spectators. It was a huge challenge."
By his final appearance in the 2026 ACSL semifinals, Voith had matured into a "shared number 1" at his position. The classic deep-threat wide receiver shared the star role with Clemens Anzinger. Although the duo couldn't prevent the semifinal defeat against arch-rivals WU Tigers, the positive moments prevail for Voith, including two Summer Bowl appearances on his resume.
"It gave me an insanely good opportunity to get into the sport. The atmosphere, the noise level, and the halftime show come very close to AFLE gamedays. We played in front of 5,000 to 8,000 fans. An opportunity like that is rare in Austria," Voith praises the league. On the field, he feels the ACSL's level equals that of AFL Division 2. "We could easily keep up with the teams there," the receiver is convinced.
"Why Does He Want to Follow Me?"
Voith consistently delivered strong performances over his four years. This put him on the radar of the Vienna Vikings, even though the 25-year-old was surprised by the message from Oberladstätter. "It was in May on a regular-season gameday against the MedUni Serpents. Two hours before kickoff, I noticed I had a follower request on Instagram."
At first, he didn't know how to interpret the moment. "I thought to myself: Okay, this is strange and interesting — why does he want to follow me?" It brought back memories of the Vienna Knights from the AFL, when their wide receivers coach had once sent him a request.
However, Oberladstätter didn't just want to be a follower of the Robots icon; the Vikings were specifically looking for wide receivers with ACSL experience. "I thought to myself: What the hell, no way, that's not true," Voith recalls.
The Invitation to Ravelin
At first, Voith only told his family and inner circle, and shortly after, the Robots coaches found out. "Everyone else knew nothing. That was a conscious decision," he says.
A tryout followed in which the 25-year-old impressed across the board. About a month later, the offer arrived to move to the Ravelin facility and play football on Europe's big stage in the AFLE. "At that moment, I emotionally imploded. It was absolutely surreal to get this chance — something I thought I would never achieve in my life."
Yet Voith had already harbored a quiet wish during the winter months to participate at the Vikings’ facility: "Back in January, I thought to myself how cool it would be to train with the pros just once." At the time, he dismissed the thought as a mere pipe dream.
The Debut in Berlin
The announcement that Voith would join the reigning AFLE champions as a "homegrown player" was made on July 2. Just three days later, the trained civil engineer was already on the field: during the 45- 7 road victory against Berlin Thunder, he logged two targets for eight yards. The wide receiver, wearing number 80, made three more appearances against the Firenze Red Lions and the Alpine Rams (Weeks 10, 13, and 14), recording four additional targets.
Oberpertinger is thrilled for his former protégé making the leap to Europe. "In conversations with him, I noticed that he was able to gain a lot of experience with the Vikings in a short time. That will help his football career enormously," says the Robots' Head Coach.
Discussions for the 2027 season are currently underway, though Voith does not want to reveal any more details at this time. Either way, the Lower Austrian has already brought a Hollywood-worthy success story to the field.
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