Franchise ResourcesHenrikson gets a second chance to play football and is becoming one of the leagues fastest rising stars
July 17, 2006
If you have ever lived in a small town in Wisconsin you would understand that very few things are as celebrated as high school football. It was 11 years ago that Pete Henrikson (#56) walked off the field from his final game playing linebacker for the Wild Rose Wildcats. That game was a heartbreak loss in the playoffs which would have left any player feeling empty. "It really isn't until you have played your last snap that you are able to realize that strapping on your pads and giving your heart and soul to the game of football is a gift, a privilege that you earn through hard work and dedication to the sport." It was at that point that Pete Henrikson started pondering to his self, "what if I could suit up just one more time……….."
Years had pasted after college and a job transfer to Milwaukee had reunited him with one of his best friends from college, Brett "Soup" Campbell (#77). Watching the Wisconsin Badgers play one afternoon, he asked Soup that very same question. Pete instantly remembered that a friend had mentioned an area league where men who had the same passion for the game continued to play for a fast growing league called the Ironman Football League (IFL). Coming from a small school with a varsity roster of only 25 players, 10 players starting both ways, Ironman Football was all Pete had ever known. The two friends spent the next several weeks contacting players who they thought still had the same desire to play and then contacted the league about starting their own IFL franchise. As many owners can attest to, player commitment is more difficult to get than one could imagine. The frustration with the inability to field a team almost killed their dreams, until Pete met Jimmy Medrano, co-owner of the Milwaukee Venom, in the gym one day. Through his discussions with Jimmy, Pete realized he had found his new home.
The Venom were coming off of two losing seasons caused in part by player defection to new start-up franchises. Losing football games was not something Pete Henrikson or Brett Campbell were ever accustomed to, but it was the opportunity to turn a franchise around that made the prospect of playing for the Venom all the more appealing. The first season with the Venom had its ups and downs. The losses piled up due to lack of quality depth and player knowledge of the new offensive/defensive systems. "Soup and I both felt that we were a couple players short of turning this ship around," Pete said.
The IFL was growing by leaps and bounds and was drawing talented players, coaches and franchises from all over into its league. "I was so impressed by how well the league was run and how deep the talent in the league was. This is not high school football, this is real smash mouth; hard nosed football at it's finest. Every down you play is a gift, so you go out there and make the most out of it."
The players and coaches of the Milwaukee Venom voted Pete Henrikson Defensive MVP and Defensive Captain after a successful first season leading the Venom Defense. In 2005 he recorded 49 tackles even after missing one game. "I think I had that many because our defense was on the field so much last year. I am hoping to trade some of those in this year for more wins."
The Milwaukee Venom are off to their best start in franchise history at 2-0 with a big win coming over the division rival Muskego Hitmen in week one. "It has been just amazing seeing all your hard work and dedication to a team pay off. We have transformed this team into a playoff contender in 2 years and to be part of that is something very special."
