Munich football player David Bada on NFL debut: "I was shocked at first"
Created: 08/01/2023 14:20
By: Nico-Marius Schmitz
Powerhouse: David Bada.
© Photo: Imago
Munich – The hard work has paid off.
On Sunday last week, David Bada made his National Football League (NFL) debut for the Washington Commanders (10:24 against Cleveland).
In an interview with our newspaper, the 27-year-old from Munich, who has been training in Washington since 2020, talks about his special moment, support from family and Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest.
David Bada, when did you learn you were making your NFL debut?
I've been traveling with the team for four to five weeks now.
Of course you hope on every match day that you will be used.
On Saturday they informed me that I should sign and play on Sunday.
I was totally shocked, I didn't expect it at all at the time.
I can't even describe the feeling.
Of course I was very happy.
My sister came to America for Christmas and New Years.
All my siblings were there.
I really wanted to go home to my wife and siblings to tell them.
We hugged each other, it was a huge surprise for her.
Was the family in the stadium too?
Yes.
It was the first NFL game they watched live.
And then I'll get to work.
That was just crazy.
We will all never forget that.
My daughter followed the game from Germany in the stream.
How did you experience the game?
When you pull on the shoulder pads, see your name on the jersey - that moment is truly legendary.
At the beginning of the game I was very excited.
It took me a few plays to get in properly.
I relied on my instincts and really got started.
It felt better from play to play.
What was the feedback from the coaching staff?
The feedback from the coaches was positive.
They said it was very good for my first regular NFL game ever.
Personally, of course, you always think that you can improve and that some situations could have been solved better.
I am self critical and work on myself every day.
We lost, we're out of the playoff race.
Everyone was disappointed and sad, we had hoped for more from this year.
Despite this, many people on the staff were happy for me.
It's a nice feeling to feel this support.
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Have you really realized that your dream of making your first NFL appearance has finally come true?
I haven't realized all of that yet.
We have one more game.
That's where the focus is.
That's why I haven't had time to check what actually happened.
After the season I fly to Munich, where I can let everything sink in peace.
Did you miss Munich?
But what of!
The Bavarian cuisine alone... Every time I come back, I make a white sausage breakfast with my wife.
In the evening we go to a hearty restaurant.
That's a tradition.
And Paulaner Spezi, that's my absolute favorite drink here.
I'm looking forward to it.
The NFL is in shock after Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest. Did you follow the game?
That took us all away.
We had dinner with a few players, and the game was going on.
We saw the scene.
A few have already asked themselves: Did it just fall over?
The room was quiet at first.
We said: Hey, this could happen to us next week.
This is just terrible.
I love the sport, but you always have to be aware of the dangers and the risks.
Interview: Nico Marius Schmitz
