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Top young quarterbacks from around the NFL are heading to Europe to compete in the NFL Europe League, where they hope to follow in the footsteps of Super Bowl XXXIV MVP KURT WARNER through allocation by NFL clubs that was announced today.

A total of 154 current NFL players were allocated to the six NFL Europe teams for the 2000 campaign, which kicks off on April 15 and culminates with World Bowl ’00 in Frankfurt, Germany on June 25. The allocation number is expected to grow before training camps open next month.

Thirty NFL teams have allocated players to Europe, with the Chicago Bears leading all clubs with 12 players.

NFL Europe League rosters will include 12 NFL quarterbacks when the new season kicks off in Berlin and Dusseldorf, Germany; and Edinburgh, Scotland on April 15-16.

Quarterbacks aiming to star in Europe this season include JIM KUBIAK of the New York Jets and RON POWLUS of Philadelphia, who will duel for the starting job with the Amsterdam Admirals.

Kubiak started the final three games for Amsterdam in 1999, throwing seven touchdowns and finishing with a 96.2 passer rating. Powlus played collegiately at Notre Dame and set 16 passing records with the Fighting Irish.

It was in Amsterdam in 1998 where St. Louis Rams standout and Super Bowl champion Warner first made his mark on the NFL, winning seven of his nine starts and leading the NFL Europe League with 2,101 yards passing and 15 touchdowns.

"Playing in Europe was a great experience," Warner says. "It was my way to open some eyes of the people at the Rams and around the league. Competing in NFL Europe gave me confidence to know that I could come into the NFL and succeed."

In Barcelona, head coach JACK BICKNELL will have a talented duo to work with in quarterbacks TONY GRAZIANI of Atlanta and CORY SAUTER of Detroit.

Graziani started four games for the Falcons in 1999, throwing for 759 yards and two touchdowns. Sauter owns University of Minnesota records in passing yards, completions and touchdowns.

In Berlin, the Thunder will welcome passers ERIC KRESSER of Cincinnati and SCOTT MILANOVICH of Tampa Bay. Kresser led Marshall to a Division I-AA national championship in 1996 and Milanovich finished his college career at Maryland as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns.

"We are very excited about the upcoming season after seeing the high quality of players allocated by NFL teams," said NFL Europe President BILL PETERSON. "NFL clubs are increasingly recognizing the value of our league in developing players."

The defending World Bowl-champion Frankfurt Galaxy will have a pair of Kansas City Chiefs vying for the starting quarterback job.

TED WHITE was a college star at Howard, where he set Mid Eastern Athletic Conference career records with 9,713 yards passing and 92 touchdowns. His Chiefs teammate, BILL LINQUIST, is a Kansas City native who played collegiately at Benedictine, quarterbacking his club to three consecutive NAIA playoff appearances.

In Dusseldorf, Germany, Carolina Panthers quarterback MATT LYTLE will compete with San Diego’s SHERDRICK BONNER for the Rhein Fire’s top quarterback spot.

Lytle started 10 games for the University of Pittsburgh as a senior in 1998, passing for 2,092 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Panthers’ quarterback is trying to emulate the success of teammate DAMEYUNE CRAIG, who led all Europe League passers with 2,932 yards and 21 touchdowns as a Scottish Claymore last season.

Also with Rhein is Bonner, who finished his career in the Arena Football League as the Arizona Rattlers’ all-time leader in touchdown passes and earned MVP honors in the 1994 Arena Bowl.

In Scotland, Claymores fans will follow the progress of Tennessee’s KEVIN DAFT and Kansas City’s MARCUS CRANDELL.

Daft, who was on the sideline during the Titans’ appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV last month, is the record holder in touchdown passes and passing yards at the University of California-Davis.

Crandell is a veteran of the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos.

"We have many hungry young players who are determined to win a championship," said Peterson. "Fans around the world are going to love watching these players develop into tomorrow’s NFL stars."