Mike Christensen was enjoying a post-college summer in Australia when he was contacted by former Chapman football teammate Eric Marty, the starting quarterback since February for an Italian Football League team.

The Gigantes Bolzano (Bolzano Giants) were in need of a running back, and Christensen was the guy Marty wanted.

“I knew he was capable of thriving in this league,” Marty said. “I probably sent hundreds of e-mails over a couple of months.”

Christensen was hesitant, but finally was persuaded to take the offer from Bolzano. Just months removed from setting a Chapman record with 262 yards rushing in a single game, the 5-9, 195-pound running back traveled for 36 hours to Northern Italy, which the Giants call home.

Twenty-four hours later, he was in uniform and starting in the backfield in the Giants’ 54-9 victory over the Catania Elephants. In fact, he ran for 20 yards and a touchdown and even played some outside linebacker.

“My legs felt like Jell-O,” Christensen said. “At Chapman we would practice for about a month before the first game, yet I was in Italy for just over 24 hours before my first game.”

This weekend, the Giants begin postseason play and are a favorite after finishing atop the regular-season standings in the 10-team league, which provided the setting for John Grisham’s 2007 novel “Playing for Pizza.”

The Italian League opportunity came about for Marty in part because of his diligence and desire to continue his football playing career after college. But as they say, it also helps to know someone in the business.

Enter Chapman defensive line coach Mike Wood. Wood had coached for Bolzano in the Italian League for several years and stayed in contact with the team's owner/head coach, Argeo Tisma.

Although Marty had networked online with several teams in different leagues around Europe, nothing altogether promising had come of it other than a “small contract with a second-division German team.” That is, until Wood put Marty in touch with Tisma. Last Christmas Day, Bolzano made the offer for Marty to quarterback its team.

“It was probably the best Christmas present I have ever received,” Marty said.

Marty and Christensen are among just three Americans allowed on Bolzano’s 30-man roster, per league rules. With that comes a tremendous amount of expectations. So how have they done?

Marty has thrown for more than 1,600 yards and tossed 24 touchdowns and started every game at quarterback in leading the Giants to the playoffs. Christensen has played in two games since joining the team in late April, scoring a touchdown and also seeing some action as an outside linebacker.

“The part that I have relished the most is that I get to be a football player, not just a quarterback,” Marty said. “Mostly because of depth issues, I have had the chance to kick, punt and I have played safety, cornerback and returned two kickoffs.

“During the second quarter (of one game) when Mike had to step in at outside linebacker and I was playing cornerback, I looked at him and said, ‘I could have seen us playing in the same backfield again, but who would have ever thought we’d be lining up together on the same defense?’ ”

Marty calls the time in Italy “the most dumbfounding, spontaneous and rewarding” of his life and says that he’s found a new love for the game through this unique experience.

They say that Division III athletics is about “love of the game.” It's comforting to know that even at a professional level, this still holds true.

Doug Aiken is sports information director at Chapman.