‘Das Boot’ Plays Big Role For Sun Prairie Football

If the Verona High School versus-Sun Prairie football game on Saturday comes down to a field goal, the Cardinals will count on exchange student Lukas Otto win the game.

The 17-year-old Otto came from Zurich, Switzerland, in August and joined the team having never played American football before.

On the second day of practice, he kicked a 62-yard field goal. That earned him the job as the team’s kicker. There was quite a learning curve, but he’s become a fan favorite with his new nickname, “Das Boot.”

“I used to play soccer back home for about 10 years so I decided to try something new for my experience here,” said Otto. “Before my kickoffs, the students they are cheering for me and they call me ‘Das Boot’ before I kick the ball and that’s cool.”

“He knew nothing about the game,” said Sun Prairie coach Brian Kaminski. “We tried to explain to him what a kickoff was. It was like having a kindergartener all over again. But it’s a tribute to him that he has been able to pick it up as fast as he can and he has done a tremendous job for us. It’s a weapon.”

Sun Prairie plays Verona in the third round of the playoffs Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in Verona.