Franchise ResourcesThe Legend of Dr. Juke
As part of this season’s 15 year anniversary celebration, the Ironman Football League plans to showcase some of its past players, coaches, and team administrators who, throughout the history of the League, have helped mold the IFL into what it is today.
This showcase spotlights an amazing athlete named Greg Rebella, who is a consistent scoring threat every time he touches the ball. He runs like the wind, has played on three different semi-pro teams, and has excelled at three different positions. Oh, and by the way, did we mention that this same amazing athlete has a Masters Degree in the medical profession and will be turning 40 years old in September?
Here is the story of Greg Rebella, AKA. “Dr. Juke”
Greg Rebella was born and raised in Merrill, Wisconsin. He attended Merrill High School and graduated in 1989. He grew up playing football and comes from a football family. His dad, who Greg idolizes the most, was the head football coach at Merrill H.S. and is a member of the Wisconsin High School Football Coach Hall of Fame. Rebella had a successful high school football career at Merrill where he earned some pretty prestigious honors.
“Honestly, it was so long ago that I don’t remember the specific awards,” Rebella said while laughing out loud, “except that I am very proud to have been named an All-State Scholar-Athlete.”
Rebella grew up watching the Steelers where he formed his football allegiances in the 1970’s. While the Steelers were his favorite team, Steelers greats Rocky Bleier (from Appleton) and Lynn Swann were his favorite players.
After high school, Rebella attended UW-Madison where he had a very brief career as a walk-on wide receiver for the, then, new head coach, Barry Alvarez.
“At the time, the Badgers were making big changes and a 5’10” 160 lb kid with mediocre speed did not really fit their blueprint for becoming a national football powerhouse,” Rebella said. “That was a little difficult for me to get past at first, but it did not take me long to realize that playing D1 football while being a pre-med student would have been tough.”
Ultimately Rebella put his football set back behind him and went on to earn a master’s degree in exercise physiology and complete medical school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rebella’s academic achievements are impressive. He successfully compled four years of college, two years of graduate school, four years of medical school, three years of residency, and three years of fellowship.
After college, Rebella did not play any form of organized football for 10 plus years until 2006, when he saw an IFL game televised on Time Warner.
“I was immediately sucked back in,” said Rebella. “I was bigger and faster than the last time I tried to play football (the right kind of training can help you get faster even into your late 30’s!), so I figured I would give it a try.”
That year the Menomonee Falls Warriors were just starting up and Rebella had an opportunity to join a good group of experienced IFL players for his first season.
“I had a blast and was hooked,” Rebella said. “I began to enjoy the process of getting myself ready for the season as much as I enjoyed the actual games.”
The 2010 IFL season will officially be Rebella’s fifth year in the IFL. He has previously played for Menomonee Falls Warriors, Lake Country Cyclones, and West Allis Predators prior to joining the Spartans in 2009. Rebella has great speed and agility on the field and possesses moves that leave would-be tacklers in the dust. His elusiveness and ability to reverse direction seemingly at will, often leave defensive players grasping at air, a style and contrast that has earned him the nickname “Dr. Juke.”
Rebella’s talents played a significant role in the Wauwatosa Spartan’s title run last year. Rebella filled in at receiver and excelled at returning kicks for the Spartans on special teams.
“Making it to the Ironbowl last year but not finishing the job has definitely given me added motivation this off-season. I never planned on playing more than a season or two, and this is going to be my final season…it would be great to go out on top.”
Even though 2010 will be Rebella’s final season as a player in the IFL, he will always carry fond memories of his playing career and the individuals and personalities that make the Ironman Football League so great. Here are his thoughts on the League:
“The guys that play in this League come together from many different backgrounds and we are all at different points in our lives (girlfriends, wives, kids, school, jobs, etc). Yet we all share a love for football…from the first game I played in this League to the last second of Iron Bowl XIII, I have felt part of a team of guys who share this passion. I suspect it was like this when the first teams in the IFL formed and I suspect it will continue for as long as the IFL is around.”
Rebella is currently a pediatric emergency physician at the University of Wisconsin where he cares for kids who come in for any reason. In addition, he has a particular interest in sports and athletic injuries, so part of his job involves research in that area.
