2001 Fairfield grad Brian Michitti plays in the German Football League.
By Jay Morrison
Staff Writer
Fairfield High School graduate Brian Michitti freely admits two things about his professional football career overseas:
The first is that the caliber of football played in Germany is nowhere near as skilled as in the United States, and the second is that his team — the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns — has the most unfortunate mascot name in the history of sports.
“Unicorns is the worst possible name for a masculine team,” the said by phone from his home in Cologne, Germany.
“But no one disrespects us anymore.”
Michitti, 28, and his Schwäbisch Hall teammates put together the German Football League’s first undefeated regular season in 18 years and then became the first team in history to win a German Bowl championship in undefeated fashion.
“I don’t care what level you’re playing at, or what sport, when you win a championship, it’s awesome,” Michitti said. “I wouldn’t trade any of it.”
After graduating from Fairfield in 2001, Michitti played at Hanover College, where he earned first team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference honors as a free and strong safety his junior and senior years.
After earning a degree in business administration with a focus on economics and finance, Michitti got a call from Schwäbisch Hall head coach Siegfried Gehrke.
“I actually got recommended by an opposing coach in college,” he said. “(Gehrke) had asked him if they had a defensive back or safety he thought was worthy of playing at a higher level, and the guy said he didn’t but he had seen film on me.
“... I knew the German league was regarded as the best in Europe, and I wanted to play at the highest level I could so I committed quickly,” Michitti added.
Shortly after beginning his professional career in 2006, Michitti suffered an ACL tear that he thought would end his career.
But in 2009 he got a call from a Schwäbisch Hall coach asking him what he was doing, and Michitti decided to give football another chance.
“I really surprised myself with how well I was playing,” he said. “Somehow it seems like every year I’ve been getting better and better even as I get older.”
“I’d love to keep playing until I’m 35 if my body could hold up, but I don’t see that happening,” he said.
“When the right job offer comes up to come home to the U.S., that will be it,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.