Pete Schmitt (Mount Horeb/Mount Horeb) head shot Pete Schmitt (Mount Horeb/Mount Horeb) action shot">

Pete Schmitt (Mount Horeb/Mount Horeb) head shot" class="">

Pete Schmitt (Mount Horeb/Mount Horeb) action shot" class="">

UW-Whitewater tight end Pete Schmitt (Mount Horeb/Mount Horeb) has been signed by the Washington Redskins.

Schmitt was invited to last week's Redskins' free agent tryout camp and was signed to a contract Wednesday (May 9).  He will move to the Washington D.C. area and report for organized team activities (OTA) beginning Wednesday, May 16.  The OTA will prepare Schmitt and other team members, rookies and veterans, for a mini-camp June 17-19 and the start of training camp the third week of July.

"It's like a dream, a whirlwind right now," Schmitt said.  "They have talked about using me as a H back, rather than at tight end," Schmitt explained.  "They already have probably the best H back in the NFL right now, Chris Cooley, but they said they saw some of the same things in me, so I'm looking forward to learning quite a bit and trying a new position."

Schmitt, 6-3, 253, was named Second Team All-America by D3football.com and Third Team Football Gazette All-America.  Schmitt helped the Warhawks go undefeated in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, undefeated in the regular season, and advance to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III championship game the last two years as UW-W went a combined 28-2. 

Schmitt, who caught 47 and 44 passes, respectively, the last two seasons for fourteen touchdowns, was an intergral part of UW-Whitewater's running game.  Schmitt's blocking helped tailback Justin Beaver (Palmyra/Palmyra-Eagle) lead all collegiate rushers -- at any level -- with 2,420 yards in 2005.  Although Beaver missed five games in 2006 he still rushed for 1,369 yards, and UW-W averaged 4.6 yards per rushing attempt. 

Schmitt will join former Warhawk teammate Derek Stanley (Verona/Verona) in a NFL camp.  Stanley was drafted in the seventh round by the Saint Louis Rams.

For additional information:
Lance Leipold, UW-W coach, 262-472-1453
Bob Berezowitz, UW-W coach when Schmitt played, 262-472-4772
UW-W football site:  www.uww.edu/athletics/mfootball

Schmitt's Accomplishments
107 career receptions makes Schmitt number two among tight ends in the UW-W record book
2006 ... team went 14-1, undefeated regular season, WIAC champions, runner-up in Division III ... 14 games, 47 catches for 487 yards, 10.4 avg/catch, 34.8 avg/game, 9 TD's ... First Team All-WIAC ... Second Team D3football.com All-America, Third Team Football Gazette All-America
2005  ... team went 14-1, undefeated regular season, WIAC champions, runner-up in Division III ... 14 games, 44 receptions for 559 yards, 12.7 avg/catch, 39.9 avg/game, 5 TD's
2004 ... team went 7-3 ... 9 games, 15 catches for 179 yards, 11.9 avg/catch, 19.9 avg/game
2003 ... team went 7-3 ... 2 games, 1 catch for 6 yards (played behind second team all-conference TE)