Rob Diebold

Seattle Cavaliers, Pierce County Bengals, Seattle Blue Devils, Renton Sharks

Offensive Line / Coach / International Ambassador

1989 - 2011

For the better part of a decade, Rob Diebold, the giant in the middle of the line (6'6" 350 lbs) roamed the fields of Washington football before embarking on a global expedition playing and coaching American football on three continents.  For 22 years, he lived the dream as a player, as a coach, as a commissioner, and as a global ambassador. 

His first experience with the semi-pro game following his time at Walla Walla Junior College, came with a newly forming team in the Mason County Grizzlies in Shelton.  After a couple of "semi pro" practices and a chance encounter with another legendary player, fellow Hall of Famer, Steve Matychowiak, looking to extend his playing days with the nearby Grizzlies, Rob and his new acquaintance, unsatisfied with what they saw, left the Grizzlies for the Seattle Cavaliers.  A brief stay with the Cavaliers in their final full season traversing the United States playing the likes of the Brooklyn Mariners and the Racine Raiders. When the Cavaliers shut down in 1990, Diebold teamed up again with Matychowiak with the Pierce County Bengals, the Renton Sharks and later the Seattle Blue Devils.

After almost a decade in the Northwest, most players end it there, but Rob was just getting started.  Moving to Florida, the 1999-2000 seasons saw Rob become a 2-time UFL All-Star with the Tampa Bay Bulldogs as well as a brief stay with the Florida Stingrays.  He was named captain of the All-Star team in 2000.

By 2001, the International travel bug was taking hold.  Rob was a player/coach with the St. Petersburg Sharks earning All-Star status in the SSFL before jetting off to Finland to play for the Oulu Northern Lights of the European Federation.  Jetting half way around the world, Rob spent the remainder of 2001 through 2003 with the Tamaki Lightning of Gridiron New Zealand and became a key ambassador in bringing the New Zealand Haka National Team to the United States for a two week, two game exhibition against the Capital City Fury in Sacramento, California and the Team USA all-stars at the Lincoln Bowl in Tacoma, Washington.

The back-and-forth travel continued as Diebold split time coaching the Cape Coral Fear and SSFL West All-Stars in 2003-04 as well as the Tamaki Lightning in New Zealand.  Returning to Florida in 2005 Diebold served as Commissioner of the Diamond Football League (Florida) through 2007.

A year away and the phone rang again, a familiar voice from the New Zealand Haka on the other end, Adam Campbell, longtime advocate of American football "down under", requested an assistant coach for the 2009 edition of the Browns Plains Bruins out of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 

2010 and 2011 continued with a player/coach roll with the Daisy Hill Wildcats (Australia) and the Florida Bobcats of the FFL in Fort Myers, FL.  Daisy Hill was one of the proudest moments of Rob's career taking a team the previous 5 years with a 0.350 winning percentage, and turning those same players into the 2010 Gridiron Queensland Sunbowl Champions.

Over his career, Rob won championships with the Pierce County Bengals, St. Petersburg Sharks, Florida Bobcats, and internationally with the Wildcats and the Tamaki Lightning.

Rob was coaxed out of retirement once again in 2021 to play for the Southwest Florida Jaguars while also coaching the offensive line going into 2022, doning the #62 one final time(?).

Center Rob Diebold in Australia 2010