[3] At Columbia, he was a wingback and punter for a team led by all-American quarterback Paul Governali.
[4] He was drafted by Buffalo Bills in 1943, but opted to join the army, where he became a captain and helped coach the Fleet Marine Force football team with NFL star Cliff Battles.
[4] He spent four years as the freshman coach at Columbia University, another seven years at Rutgers University as the assistant director and light football coach before becoming the Athletic director of Columbia Lions.
[1][5] After Columbia, Germann left to become the commissioner of the Southern Conference, where he served from 1974 until his retirement in 1987.
[1] The top award for the best performing women's team, Germann Cup, is named after him.