Franchise ResourcesRebirth of a receiver
January 27, 2009
Brad Guettel has been a standout athlete his entire life and he has the records and accolades to prove it. He still holds the record for career punt return yards and average at Mukwonago High School. In college, he was an All-Conference returner and wide receiver, and a two-time All-American returner, still holding the school records for single-season and career punt return average, as well as the single-season records for most kick returns for a touchdown and punt returns for a touchdown. He still sits in the NCAA Division III football record books with the ninth-best single season punt return average and the tenth-best career kick-off return average. He was even voted game MVP of the 2001 National Collegiate All-Star Game.
Much of his success in football was predicated upon his abilities on the track as a three-time National Qualifying sprinter, holding collegiate school records in the 4x100 and 4x200 relays, and racking up an amazing 13 NCAA All-Conference selections in all.
This impressive resume followed him into the IronMan Football League in 2003, when he joined the expansion Mukwonago Soldiers. “These guys were mostly my college teammates at Carroll, how could I say no to that?” replied Guettel when asked what drew him to the league. In his just over two years in the league, he was the 2003 Special Teams Player of the Year and a 2004 All-Star wide receiver.
However, his love for the game was trumped by his love for his family, and during the 2005 season, Guettel called it quits. “The Soldiers were folding, I was married, I had a little girl on the way, and now I have two,” he added. “I had to focus on taking care of them first.” It wasn’t until September of 2007 that a chance meeting with Adam Kujath, owner of the Wauwatosa Spartans and former Soldier and Carroll College teammate, at the MACC fund charity airplane pull reignited the spark within.
“At that time, my brother Luke and I had already decided that we were going to start our own franchise,” said Kujath. “We were in full-blown recruiting mode. I hadn’t seen Brad in awhile before I bumped into him there and planted the seed for his potential comeback. He was the only player I picked up that day, but it was probably one of the best recruiting days I’d had.”
Once Guettel committed to being a Spartan in their inaugural 2008 season, he jumped on board to help with preseason conditioning. This was only natural as he was an assistant track coach at Carroll at the time.
In 2008, Guettel re-laced his cleats, and stepped back onto the field for the first time in three years. He never looked back. In an incredible return season, he lead a gifted receiving core, leading the team in catches to compile over 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdowns, all while pulling special teams duty as kick and punt returner.
“We have some tremendous athletes on our team, but Brad is the fastest guy we’ve got,” said Luke Kujath, Co-Owner of the Spartans. “At the same time, he will lower the boom like a linebacker on you. He doesn’t drop balls, but he does drop defenders.”
Guettel has been a huge part of the Spartan’s inaugural season that finished third in the American Conference before going on to win the 2008 Mid-States National Tournament for a bid to the 2009 Manatee Bowl in Deland, Florida, and a chance to win a National Championship. His teammates recognize his contribution as well, having voted him Co-Offensive MVP and Special Teams MVP for 2008. Brad has already committed to being a Spartan in 2009, setting up an even more successful sophomore Spartan season.
