John Syptak: A Honeymoon of Sorts

Most newlyweds look forward to a nice relaxing honeymoon, and what’s a more enticing destination than an all-expenses paid trip to Frankfurt, Germany? This was the case for 49ers defensive end/linebacker John Syptak, although his post-wedding plans weren’t quite what he had anticipated. Instead, a single phone call and job offer from the 49ers set a new path in motion and drastically altered his plans.

“I got married on February 24th and we had the wedding in Texas,” recalled Syptake, a collegiate captain at Rice. “Then, I flew out to California because my wife is from Huntington Beach. I had put my application in to NFL Europa, but I hadn’t heard anything from any of the teams so I was planning on going up to Canada. At the last minute, San Francisco called and I told them I’d be on a plane the next day.”

As promised, Syptak flew to the 49ers headquarters in Santa Clara, took a physical and then hopped on another plane for Tampa Bay where he joined the Frankfurt Galaxy for training camp.

Despite the chaos, Syptak says the experience has been enjoyable as he and his wife Erin both traveled overseas in order to make the most of the situation.

“Erin’s been very supportive of me,” said Syptak. “She’s having a good time over here with me. This is essentially our honeymoon. We got to go to Rome one weekend and I had always wanted to go to Italy because I studied Latin in high school. We also went to Pompeii and it was awesome! I’ve gotten to play football and get a paid vacation.”

While the vacation has been enjoyable, football hasn’t been bad either. Over the season Syptak has notched 30 tackles, one forced fumble and a team-leading 3.5 sacks with his team set to appear in the World Bowl, NFL Europa’s championship game, this Saturday.

“It means a lot to me because at Rice we never got to play in a bowl game so this will be my first bowl,” said Syptak. “Just to play in that type of atmosphere will be pretty exciting.”

A trip to the World Bowl is the result of Syptak’s hard work and steady growth throughout the season. A defensive end in Europe, Syptak figures to make the transition to linebacker in the NFL.

“I’m really undersized at about 6’2” and 250 pounds,” said Syptak. “I’m a ‘tweener.’ I think over here though I’ve gotten a chance to show that I can rush the passer as well as drop back into coverage or play the run.”

In any role, Syptak says that the 49ers are guaranteed to get his best effort at all times.
“I try to go 150 percent all the time,” said Syptak. “If I don’t, I’m not a very good player. If I play hard, I feel I can play with the best of them. I feel like that’s what teams like about me. They know that I’m going to play hard for them.”

Syptak hopes that attitude will pay dividends for him once he returns to the States as he hopes to join a growing list of NFL Europa players who have made a career for themselves in the NFL.

“It is motivation for me to know that guys who have come over here have found success in the NFL,” said Syptak, “But, I don’t really think about it. I just try to play my best and live for the moment. I look forward to what’s going to happen next and I’m excited about the opportunity the 49ers are giving me.”

An all-conference player with the Rice Owls, Syptak went undrafted and spent brief stints with both Seattle and New Orleans last season. Syptak says those experiences have shown him that there a fine line between success and failure.

“For guys like me it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time,” said Syptak. “You have to be in the right organization and things have to fall into place. I have to show that I’m going to work hard each and every day and I feel like I’ve done that. You never know what might happen and that keeps me motivated.”

Although his NFL career might be uncertain, Syptak has nothing but positives to say about his time in Germany…except, of course, their dairy products.

“The milk is not pasteurized so there are problems there!” said Syptak. “I definitely miss ‘In ‘n Out.’ I’m craving it! Seriously though, I’ve enjoyed the whole experience. It’s opened my eyes to other cultures and that’s priceless. I wouldn’t change anything if I could.”

You can watch Syptak play in the World Bowl (as well as fellow 49er Marcus Maxwell of the Hamburg Sea Devils) this Saturday at 10:00 AM  PT on the NFL Network.