Skol, Maceo Beard!
Maceo Beard signs with the Minnesota Vikings after a terrific season with the Nordic Storm. Like many other European players, he was introduced to this sport as a teenager. With a dream of making it to the NFL from Europe Maceo traveled the world for the opportunity to play football and be noticed.
Start of the Journey
He started on junior teams in his home country, France, moved to Cégep de Thetford College in Quebec, Canada and participated in the CFL Global Combine. He came back to Europe to play in the GFL for the Potsdam Royals. There he recorded 14 tackles, two interceptions and six broken-up passes. The same year, Maceo participated in the NFL International Combine in London.
Maceo joined professional European football in 2022, when he signed with the Berlin Thunder. The following season, he moved to the Swiss team Helvetic Guards and had a breakout year. Maceo Beard had eight interceptions, led the league in this category and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2023 season.
After a successful year, Maceo returned to his hometown to play for the Paris Musketeers. After one more season in Europe, he was selected for the NFL International Player Pathway program and invited to the San Francisco 49ers’ rookie minicamp. The 49ers did not retain him on the roster after the tryouts. In July 2025, he announced his retirement on his Instagram page.
“My love for the beautiful game of football is still very much alive, although over the recent months and since the door to achieving my goal of playing in the NFL has slowly closed behind me, I started feeling stuck with an old version of myself I don’t relate to anymore.”
EFA Champion and NFL Contract
The one truth about the NFL is – if you’re good, they will notice you. To be good, you need to play. Maceo Beard came out of retirement later that year. The UFL’s DC Defenders drafted him in January but later released. Another hurdle in Maceo’s journey, which opened an opportunity to return to the biggest stage of European football with the EFA.
The Nordic Storm, a young but ambitious franchise, was building a roster from European star players and signed Maceo as their starting safety. During the 2026 season, he became a pivotal part of a great Nordic defense under Defensive Coordinator Mark DeLeone, who coached for the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions in the NFL. Maceo recorded 33 tackles, four interceptions (tied for most in the league), two sacks, eight pass break-ups and one 85-yard pick-six. The Nordic Storm had one of the best seasons in European football. They went 9-1 in the regular season and finished the job in the playoffs, winning the first EFA Championship.
Markus Kuhn, newly appointed president of the EFA, said in the interview before the Championship game:
“We have to have players in Europe who truly can have a goal and a vision, to play at a higher level and ultimately make it to college or potentially the NFL.”
14 months after announcing his retirement and 19 days after winning the first-ever EFA Championship, Maceo Beard signs with the Minnesota Vikings.
While the EFA goes into the offseason, Maceo will continue his football journey on the biggest stage. Europe will root for the new Minnesota Vikings number 36.
Skol, Maceo Beard!