I am Erben Birkhoff, a football player from South Africa who has had the unique opportunity to live on three different continents and experience different cultures, people and languages. Despite initially believing that I was born to play rugby, my family's relocation to the Netherlands exposed me to soccer, which taught me valuable ball handling and footwork skills.
In 2019, my family and I moved to the USA, where I discovered American football and fell in love with the sport. Despite being told that it would be almost impossible to play as a starter for the Tompkins High School Varsity football team as a freshman, I set this as my first real life goal and gave everything I had to achieve it. My hard work and commitment paid off, and I became a starter for the Falcons Tompkins Varsity team in my freshman year.
My dedication and success on the field continued throughout my two high school years, where I have played multiple positions and been recognized as a valuable member of the team. I was awarded the special teams MVP of the 2022/2023 season and was selected to serve on the Falcon's football leadership council.
My ultimate goal is to continue my football career by playing for a college football team and representing my school of choice at the next level. I understand that football is a team sport and I strive to contribute my individual skills and positive attitude to help my team reach its goals.
Outside of football, I am committed to achieving academic success and earning a college degree that will enable me to become a well-educated, well-balanced, and responsible adult. I understand the importance of hard work, resilience, and determination in achieving my goals, and I am always striving to be 1% better every day.
My unique background, adaptability, and commitment to success make me a valuable candidate for any college football team.
Statistic | 2022 Varsity Team | 2021 Varsity Team |
---|---|---|
Games played | 11 | 12 |
Average kickoff distance | 59.74 yds | 49.19 |
Touchback percentage | 60% | 15% |
Tackles | 1 | 1 |
Average hang time | 3.9 | Not measured |
Average yards per punt | 40.15 yds | 32.9 |
Long punt | 59 yds | 55 |
Punting attempts | 20 | 32 |
Punts inside the 20 | 5 | 9 |
Extra points/attempts | - | |
Field goals/attempts | - | |
Long field goal | - |