Bernhard Raimann

Early life

Raimann grew up in Steinbrunn, Austria. He began playing American football at the age of 14 for the Vienna Vikings' youth team. Raimann attended Ballsportgymnasium in Vienna, a publicly funded upper secondary school for elite competitive athletes, and attended Delton-Kellogg High School in Delton, Michigan as an exchange student for his junior year.

While on exchange, Raimann lived with a host family that included a former Central Michigan University football player, Rollie Ferris, and his future college teammate, Tyden Ferris. He returned to Austria after the year and completed his compulsory service in the Austrian military after graduating from Ballsportgymnasium Wien. Raimann committed to play college football at Central Michigan after his military service was completed.

College career

Raimann played tight end during his first two seasons at Central Michigan. He caught 20 passes for 164 yards over the course of his first two seasons. He moved to offensive tackle after his sophomore year and started all six of the Chippewas' games during its COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. In 2021, Pro Football Focus named Raimann their Offensive Player of the Year for the Mid-American Conference.