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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Former King&#8217;s College quarterback Zach Whitehead became a prominent name for the Monarch football program during his two-and-a-half years as as starter.</p><p>Now he&#8217;s making a name for himself in Europe &#8212; Germany to be exact.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve always wanted to play football for as long as I could,&#8221; Whitehead said. &#8220;The opportunity presented itself.&#8221;</p><p>The amateur signed a contract with the Regensburg Phoenix of the Bavarian League North football league.</p><p>Just two days removed from receiving his diploma for a degree in communications, Whitehead found himself with a passport and a plane ticket to Germany.</p><p>But how did he get there?</p><p>After his college career ended, the Hockessin, Del., native fielded offers from twenty teams across the globe.</p><p>&#8220;My options were limited,&#8221; said Whitehead. &#8220;Because I graduated on May 20, I had two teams who showed significant interest: Regensburg and a team in Northern Germany.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;But I am still getting contacted by other teams to play.&#8221;</p><p>Playing as a professional for more than two months, Whitehead has seen a big difference between football in America and Germany.</p><p>&#8220;Football is not the dominant sport like back home in America,&#8221; Whitehead said. &#8220;They don&#8217;t start playing in Germany until they turn 15 or 16.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;But the guys who do play in Germany are huge football fans. They stay up really late to watch games during the NFL regular season.&#8221;</p><p>The defending Mayor&#8217;s Cup MVP has slightly modified his playing style as a pro. As King&#8217;s quarterback, Whitehead was a lethal offensive weapon both in the pocket and on the ground.</p><p>During his college career Whitehead rushed for 842 yards and threw for 6,003 yards. He combined for 67 touchdowns, 41 via the air and 26 rushing.</p><p>&#8220;I have been more of a pocket passer in Regensburg,&#8221; Whitehead said. &#8220;But the times I have scrambled outside the pocket, I&#8217;ve either thrown on the run or have turned up field.&#8221;</p><p>Whitehead also sees himself as a teacher thanks to his former offensive coordinator, Skyler Fultz.</p><p>&#8220;I had a very talented group of coaches that taught me many things, like attacking coverages where the weak spots are, and how to be efficient at a high rate &#8212; but I owe a lot to Skyler Fultz,&#8221; Whitehead said. &#8220;Coach Fultz always put in the extra time with me to really develop me as a player but, more importantly, as a person.&#8221;</p><p>Since Whitehead made his debut on May 27, Regensburg has amassed a 9-0 record. In six starts, the former Monarch quarterback has thrown 18 touchdowns on the season while rushing for two.</p><p>The crowds are a lot smaller than what Whitehead is used to, but they still have a decent following despite not being an extremely popular sport in the country.</p><p><strong>Culture and travel</strong></p><p>While it certainly isn&#8217;t America, the German culture has many things to offer.</p><p>&#8220;The beer is awesome,&#8221; Whitehead said, laughing. &#8220;The food is pretty good, too.&#8221;</p><p>Regensburg is the Bavarian capital of Germany and sits less than an hour outside Munich.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve made some really good friends on the team,&#8221; Whitehead said. &#8220;My roommate is actually from Quakertown.&#8221;</p><p>Whitehead has plans to travel across Europe in August with his roommate and two of his German teammates.</p><p>&#8220;The camaraderie that I&#8217;ve built with my teammates is just like every team I&#8217;ve ever played on,&#8221; he said.&#8221;I play with a great group of guys that make it a lot of fun.&#8221;</p><p>Whitehead has already traveled to Austria, Salzburg, and Venice, Italy.</p><p><strong>Missing home?</strong></p><p>&#8220;Of course,&#8221; Whitehead said. &#8220;I miss hearing people speak English but, most importantly, I miss my family, my girlfriend, my friends, and spending my summer back home by the beach.&#8221;</p><p>Whitehead will be home for two weeks at the end of July and into early August before he boards a plane back to Germany for the playoffs.</p><p>Whitehead hasn&#8217;t ruled out a possible turn to coaching when he returns stateside but he is keeping his options open.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure what I&#8217;m going to do when I get home but I may come back to King&#8217;s,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I have a good relationship with all the coaches, so maybe it will be something in the future.&#8221;</p><p>Whitehead has gotten to live out a dream that not many people can say they&#8217;ve done as a young person in their early 20s.</p><p>&#8220;Playing football in Germany has been a fantastic opportunity and I&#8217;m very thankful for everyone who has encouraged me to pursue my dreams.&#8221; Whitehead said. &#8220;But being able to travel Europe is something even more incredible and I&#8217;m lucky and excited to do it.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Zach Whitehead, a former King&#8217;s College quarterback, scrambles out of the pocket during a recent game for Regensburg Phoenix, the professional football team he plays for in Germany. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_37295137_2020742294644215_1888708067369943040_n.jpg</photo0><caption0>Zach Whitehead, a former King&#8217;s College quarterback, scrambles out of the pocket during a recent game for Regensburg Phoenix, the professional football team he plays for in Germany. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Former King&#8217;s College QB Whitehead thriving in Germany</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dan Stokes</p><p>dstokes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Dan Stokes at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @ByDanStokes</p></shirttailMeta></div>