MLive.com: Catholic Central grad Tom Korte heads to Italy for 'adventure' and one 'last football tour'

Published: Wednesday, February 09, 2011, 11:00 AM
Greg Johnson | The Grand Rapids Press By Greg Johnson | The Grand Rapids Press

Tom Korte, the former Catholic Central and Hillsdale College football star who was among the final cuts in the 2009 training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers, surprised even himself when he agreed to play professional football for one year in Italy.

"It thought playing football was behind me," said Korte who left Grand Rapids on Tuesday to join the Italian Football League’s Milano Seamen in Milan, Italy.

He plans to play one season as one of three American players allowed per team. He will receive an apartment, flights to and from Italy and transportation in Milan along with $1,500 per month for the season.

Milano is the defending champion of the College League.

After being cut by the Steelers, Korte said he figured his football career was over and he began to concentrate on a career in dentistry.

Korte, the son of Grandville endodontist Paul Korte, has been accepted to dental school in the fall at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis.

"That was my goal, and it’s why I put football away, to concentrate on that," he said. "I still have that goal in place. I will be back for school. I’m just going to do this while I wait for dental school to start. When you love the game, you know, it’s just hard to say no."

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