If you watched Dartmouth football the last few years there's a good chance the scene in this clip will look familiar . . .
Overlooked by NFL teams coming out of the Ivy League and cut loose by Hamilton of the CFL, Shawn Abuhoff '12 – who has to be in any conversation about the best defensive back in Dartmouth history – is playing this spring for the Milan Seamen of the Italian Football League. Abuhoff graduated from Dartmouth with school records for punt return yardage, combined return yardage, punt-return touchdowns and combined punt-kick return scores.
Abuhoff kindly took the time last week to answer emailed questions about how he landed in Italy, how he's enjoying it and what the future may hold. He also shared the video above and the photos below.
1. When did you make the decision to play overseas and how did it come about?
After leaving the Hamilton Tigercats, I began to coach at my high school and really figured I was finished. I was then approached by (Columbia's) Alex Gross through Facebook and he really sold me on the experience of playing overseas. With his help I was put in touch with a couple of teams in Italy and I basically was able to choose the one I wanted to play for. I made the final decision I wanted to play in early November and signed a contract that would have me arrive in the middle of January.
2. How important was it for you to finish football with a good taste in your mouth after first the NFL and then the CFL fell through?
I had no idea what I was getting myself into coming to play for the Milano Seamen. However, that feeling of not finishing my career how I wanted to was still with me. It was a major weight that played a huge role in my decision to come play over here. To finish my career on my terms truly became the reason for me to come play for pizza, and of course the ability to travel and see the world didn’t hurt.
3. Did you touch base with Pete Pidermann '10 about his experiences in Europe before committing? If so, what did he tell you? Or (Dartmouth offensive coordinator) Keith Clark, who coached over there?
When I was let go from the Tigercats I ran into Pete at our graduation and he mentioned to me the website, Europlayers.com, and said if you want to play overseas make an account. At the time I didn’t even consider the idea but eventually I realized the opportunity and took his advice and made a profile. I only briefly talked to Coach Clark about playing abroad and he offered to assist me if I needed his help.
4. Where else did you consider?
I only considered playing in Italy because the season finished before law schools around the U.S. started their fall semester. I applied to a bunch of schools and am narrowing my choices down in case I am truly finished after this season. I was contacted by the Catania Elephants (Sicily), the Ancona Dolphins (Ancona), the Bolzano Giants (Bolzano), and the Milano Seamen (Milan). Milan seemed the easiest choice because of its location. It offered the greatest opportunity to travel outside of Italy as well as within, and is the Fashion Capital of the World behind New York, so it’s a pretty lively city.
5. What level of football would you consider the IFL to be? Division III maybe?
When it comes to the passion of the game over here, there is no level that matches it. These guys care about getting better and love this sport more than any American I have ever seen. This is why many guys play into their 30s and even 40s. When it comes to the size and speed of most of the guys here I would say it’s of a lower level Division II or a decent Division III. A Division III team came here to scrimmage one of the teams in our league and won 17-14. So these guys are pretty competitive. However, there are some guys who can definitely play at least at the IAA level. We have a 19-year-old receiver who can run a 4.6 and plays the ball in the air like Mike Reilly. He tears apart the league here.
6. If I'm reading the schedule right, you've had one game. How did that go?
Yes, we are 1-0 after defeating the Bolzano Giants 15-6. Our offense was stagnant but our defense played very well. Personally, I had two interceptions, one for a TD, and 8 tackles, 3 for a loss. On offense I had 5 catches for 64 yards and 4 runs for 32 yards; and one punt return for 14 yards. There is a rule that no American can play kickoff or kick return so I was unable to do that.
7. Assuming the plan has been for you to see action on both sides of the ball, how much fun is that?
It’s so much fun to finally get a chance to play some offense. It’s been four years since my last reception and on the first play of last week’s game I caught a curl for 12 yards and I couldn’t help but smile at the opportunity I am having to play over here.
8. What are your living arrangements like? Does the team supply you with an apartment and car/motorbike or the like? Roommates?
I live in a two bedroom apartment with our American QB, Jordan La Secla from San Jose. The team supplies everything except for food, which is not a big deal here. They paid for my equipment and had me buy and bring it over with me and they supply me with subway, bus, and train passes throughout the month as well as a cell phone.
9. How is your Italian progressing and is language much of a problem?
I am very lucky to be in Milan because there are many Italians who have learned English. However, I am trying to pick up the language as best I can. I can order food, travel anywhere, and start easy conversations as of right now. But I am a very slow speaker and get ridiculed about it. Plus the language is rather difficult and so a mispronounced word may mean something completely different from my intended meaning.
10. Have you had a chance to travel in Europe or site-see in Milan or Italy so far?
So I have traveled to Budapest so far for 5 days to hang out with Alex Gross actually, and am going to Berlin and London to hang out with Mike Cummings '11, both in April. Those are my major trips outside of Italy except I might also go to Barcelona or Greece after the season. I haven’t decided. Inside Italy I have not traveled too much yet but have seen Simpione and the famous Lake Como, as well as Bolzano, Torino, Ivrea - where I participated in the Orange Battle – and Bologna (where we played a scrimmage against the Warriors of Bologna. (Jordan Scott from Colgate is their starting running back). However, the traveling never stops for me, for when I get any free time I want to see the amazing cities and their cultures we can only dream about. I am currently writing this on a train to Venice so this weekend should be a blast as well. There are also planned trips to Chiquetera, Florence, Pisa, Bologna again, Naples, Sardinia (giant island off the coast of Italy), and Rome. Meanwhile, Milan is an amazing place with such a rich history so I have spent a lot of time seeing the many monuments and sites here. It’s a beautiful place.
11. Have you run into any Dartmouth (or Ivy) folks over there? If not, are some of your old teammates curious/jealous?
So everyone back home is always looking at my pictures on Facebook and of course they wish they were out here with me… Just as I wish they were here as well. I have hung out with Alex Gross in Budapest and played against Robert Gillett , Bolzano Giants, who played for Brown two years ago. I believe that is all the Ivy guys I’ve seen but Jordan Scott is also in the league and Doug Rosnick (Colgate), and Anthony DiMichele (Holy Cross) played in the league last year. Outside of that I haven’t seen any Ivy people although I am searching for some Dartmouth folk that might be studying over here… If you know of any let me know.
12. Is this a one-year gig? If so, what's next?
I am so up in the air with what I will be doing come August. I came into this season as this being just a one year gig but after living here for two months I have fallen in love with the way of life here. My teammates are amazing people with such a passion and love for the sport and the many people I have met outside of football have made the transition very easy for me to get used to living here. However, I still have an agent who is helping me put together a tape for some CFL scouts and so if there is a chance I may give it one last go around. If football is over for me come August, I will be enrolling in a law school somewhere in the U.S. I haven’t yet decided my destination just yet.
(Baker's Dozen) Did you read Playing for Pizza?
Read it three times after deciding to come here. It’s an amazing book which details the sport over here so perfectly. Anybody thinking of coming over here and playing must read it and if they want a better insight into my experience they should do so as well.
The Harvard Crimson has a wide-ranging multimedia package about concussions under the headline, The Price of Play.
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| No. 8 is now No. 2 |
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| Following his blocking. |
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| Crushing a ballcarrier. |
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| Knocking a ball loose |
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| QB Jordan La Secla, Abuhoff, Alex Gross and his QB |
The Harvard Crimson has a wide-ranging multimedia package about concussions under the headline, The Price of Play.
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Game 5 opponent Bucknell has completed the sixth of 15 sessions of spring practice and while the Bison struggled to a 3-8 record last year (wins over Marist, Fordham and Bryant), head coach Joe Susan sounds pleased with his 70 returnees. From the Bucknell website:“Having so many veterans that have been on the field the last three years gives us an advantage because they understand what we expect out of them. They understand the system we have installed, so it has enabled us to be more advanced and it is nice to hear the guys come off the field between plays and series talking football.”(Dartmouth has the first of the 12 spring practices allowed by the Ivy League on Tuesday.)
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Although our road is about to enter the throes of mud season we got our 1984 VW Westfalia camper bus out of cold storage yesterday. That thing is almost 30 years old and it started on the very first turn of the key after its long winter sleep. Fine German engineering, I guess.