Fitterer enjoys post-high school success at Northwestern
TEDDY BEAR — Wyatt Fitterer, a defensive lineman at Northwestern in Roseville, Minn., hugs his fiancee’ Anna Dale after a game last fall. (Submitted photo)
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
His friends call him “Grizz.”
Whether it means he’s more like a grizzly bear or a teddy bear depends on whether or not you’re lined up against him on a football field.
There’s no denying Wyatt Fitterer has been a grizzly on the gridiron. The 2016 NRHEG graduate earned all-conference honors at Itasca Community College, where he was named Defensive Lineman of the Year for the 2018 season, and last fall at Northwestern of Roseville where he was one of 18 to receive academic all-conference recognition while carrying a GPA of 3.5 or better.
Through it all, his nickname has remained.
“It started sometime in my sophomore year of high school and honestly it stuck right away,” said Fitterer.
The name was tossed around school and it wasn’t long before everyone, coaches included, was calling him Grizz.
“I guess, the back story behind it was that I looked like a grizzly/teddy bear because I could grow a beard and I was a big guy, which was 100 percent true,” said Fitterer. “Sometimes, when I come back to visit the guys they still swear by the nickname, and it’s always cool to hear it. It has a nice ring to it and brings me back to the high school days.”
In high school Fitterer was a two-sport standout, finishing second in the state wrestling tournament as a senior. He wrestled as a freshman at Itasca CC, where he advanced to nationals while being named the team’s Most Valuable Wrestler.
So how was the transition between high school and college?
“Personally, it wasn’t too hard, since it was easy for me to make friends because I was on the football team,” he said.
For the most part, he said, community college prepared him for the real world.
“I was on my own and making my own decisions financially and choosing to show up to class and making it worth my time,” he said.
Athletics were another story.
“I was terrified,” said Fitterer. “Because I was playing for a new team, new coaches and with new players from across the country.”
It didn't take long to settle in though.
“I soon realized I could hold my own in JUCO football,” he said.
Transitioning to Northwestern, a Christian university in the northeast Twin Cities suburbs, was more difficult.
“This time it was the real deal, my first university and, to make it even more terrifying, a private Christian university,” said Fitterer. “I didn’t know what to expect. I took a huge leap of faith without even knowing it would be the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Fitterer met his future wife at Northwestern, Anna Dale from Perham. They’re getting married May 25.
“When I first met Anna, she was late for our first class,” said Fitterer. “Out of breath from running up two flights of stairs, she walked into the room nervous and flustered and all eyes were on her. I saw her out of the corner of my eye searching frantically for a place to sit. That’s when I looked up from my phone and our eyes locked. I gave her a simple smile and she sat next to me, not knowing what God had in store for us.”
Anna has helped Fitterer grow as a Christian, something he says was lacking in his life growing up.
“I was unaware of what being a Christian meant,” he said. “I was unsure about a lot and was searching for something that was totally opposite of what I needed. I guess you could say I purposely was staying away from what was truth.”
Fitterer said he’s forever grateful for the friends he’s made and times they’ve shared, and wouldn’t take any of those moments back.
“I’m a firm believer in ‘everything happens for a reason,’” he said. “Without me even knowing God had a plan for me. My faith walk wasn’t easy at first and to be honest I thought about leaving UNW and going elsewhere, and as weird as it sounds something held me from leaving, not physically but mentally and spiritually. Upon meeting my now fiancée, she’s had the most influence on me when it comes to my faith journey. Despite my wrongs, she looked past my mistakes, and took me for who I was. Anna helped build me into the man I am today and without knowing we built this inseparable, unbreaking bond along the way and I’m forever grateful for her. Having Christ in our lives has been life changing and we will continue to have Christ in our lives as he creates a strong foundation for the both of us. As I look back, Jesus has been with me all the way, without me even knowing, and that’s one of the most amazing things. God’s showed me a lot about love, perseverance as well as his redemptive power. I'm nowhere near perfect. I will always be working on deepening my love and faith for Jesus Christ.”
As for the immediate future, Fitterer’s marriage, the upcoming football season and finishing his degree are foremost in his mind.
One of his goals for the football season is to claim a spot in the starting lineup in spring ball and keep it throughout the season. The key to doing that, he said, is working hard, getting in the weight room, staying consistent, studying film and faith. He plans to set the bar higher this season, making it a goal to repeat as academic all-conference, make first or second team all-conference and be named a team captain.
After graduating from Northwestern, Fitterer plans to finish school at Rasmussen Business College to become a police officer. After building his resume, Fitterer hopes eventually to work as a customs and border patrol agent or immigration agent.
For now, he’s content to patrol the line of scrimmage at Northwestern.