Bernhard Raimann Went From High School Foreign Exchange Student To Nine-Figure NFL Player

Bernhard Raimann grew up in Austria and applied to be an American foreign exchange student during his junior year of high school. Though he hadn't spent time in America, he already had a fondness for football. His exchange student application said his career goal was to be an NFL player or a banker, and he listed his height at 198 centimeters and his weight at 98 kilograms. That's 6'6″ and 217 pounds as a high school junior. 

Raimann's host family in Delton, a small town in Michigan, thought he was lying about his height. Then, when he got off the plane, they realized he hadn't exaggerated at all. In America, Raimann's love of football continued to grow and he attended college at Central Michigan University. He kept excelling and even successfully navigated a position change from tight end to offensive tackle, and he ultimately reached his goal when the Indianapolis Colts selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft.

Now, Raimann just signed a deal worth $100 million.

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The contract is for four years, giving Raimann an average of $25 million per season. He told reporters at training camp that it "seems like a dream come true" to sign such a massive deal, but the true weight of the contract hadn't yet sunk in.

As a left tackle, Raimann is responsible for protecting the blind side of quarterback Anthony Richardson. The Colts believe Raimann can continue to improve, too. He's only played left tackle since his junior year of college. That season, in 2020, was shortened and uneven for every team as they navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. Raimann and the Chippewas ultimately only suited up for six games.

Raimann has added quite a bit of muscle from his high school days, too. Though he's still 6'6″, he's up to 303 pounds, or about 137 kilograms, if you're metric system scoring at home. Now, he'll look to anchor an offensive line that's lost a few key pieces from last season.

With some luck, Raimann might be able to fulfill the dream of just about every NFL player: winning the Super Bowl—and getting a trip to Disneyland. That's something the Colts haven't done since Peyton Manning was under center nearly two decades ago.