A New Dark Knight

SIGNED UP: Quarterback Chris Ware has set 28 school records in his four-year career at Eastern Oregon University and will look for a chance to set some more records in the Swedish professional American-style football league called the Superserien. He has signed with the Orebro Black Knights.

Record-setting EOU quarterback signs with Swedish professional football team

OREBRO, Sweden — Eastern Oregon University quarterback Chris Ware has signed a professional contract with the Orebro Black Knights of the Swedish top division, Superserien.

Swedish football team Orebro Black Knights have signed Ware for the upcoming 2012 season.

The 25 year old Oregon native recently ended a stellar career at EOU by being named the starting quarterback of NAIA’s All Star team, that faced the NCAA Div II All Star team on Dec. 3.

Highly rated Ware has been a starter for EOU since his freshman year and has set all kinds of records during his four year career — 28 school records in total. He also leaves college football ranked as seventh in NAIA history in career passing yards.

“We are very happy about this signing”, says Black Knights head coach Peter Ericson. “Chris is a solid passer, and comfortable in the spread offense that we play.”

Chris Ware joins a Black Knights team that is looking to build on a successful 2011 season, when the team finished 4th in the Swedish top division, “Superserien”. 4th place meant a spot in the semi finals, where Orebro lost to Carlstad Crusaders — the team that eventually became Swedish Champions.

Ware is excited about going to Sweden, and explains why he ended up accepting Orebro Black Knights’ offer: “The Black Knights seemed to have an interest in me unmatched by any other team. The scheme of the offense and the role they wanted me to take with the team was one that I thought best fit my style of play. They want a championship and I want to be a big part of that effort.”

Swedish  “Superserien”

Senior football in Sweden is organized in two different levels depending on the quality of the team. Superserien is the top level, where the best six teams play. Below Superserien there are four, geographically divided, leagues called Division 1.

The winner in each Division 1 (North, South, East and West) will progress to the Division 1 playoffs, and the best two teams from there will play the bottom two teams in Superserien to compete for a spot in next season’s Superserien. This means that Superserien is not a closed league — it is possible to get promoted to and relegated from Superserien.

In 2012, the seven Superserien teams are: Carlstad Crusaders (2011 Swedish Champions), Arlanda Jets, Stockholm Mean Machines, STU Northside Bulls, Tyreso Royal Crowns, Uppsala 86ers and Orebro Black Knights.

The six teams play each other twice, home and away, in the 12-game regular season. The top four teams will then progress to the semifinals and eventually the Swedish Championship Game. The bottom two teams will have to play the top teams from Division 1, to defend their spot in Superserien for the following season.

Orebro Black Knights

Based in the city of Orebro (population: 120,000), the Black Knights are a football club that has active teams in organized competition from the ages of 11 and up. The senior team (varsity) progressed from Division 1 to Superserien in time for the 2011 season. The 2011 Superserien campaign was the Black Knights’ first effort in the top league since 2004. Orebro has never won the Swedish Championship, but has played in two Championship Games — 1998 and 1999 — losing on both occasions to Stockholm Mean Machines.

Stand out players are runningback Anton Kallvik, receiver Johan Stal, linebacker Niklas Persson Ghylfe and defensive end Claes Unestahl.

The players, as well as the majority of starters in Superserien, are at a level comparable to that of a NCAA Division III player.