DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Ann Arbor, Michigan is a quirky, fun city notable for any number of reasons.

The college town that boasts the University of Michigan is home to various museums and performing arts groups, Michigan Stadium — the largest football stadium in the world, and the first Borders bookstore.

Wolverines students have put Ann Arbor on the map with their annual Naked Mile run celebrating the end of classes, although it’s a tradition that’s faced a crackdown in recent years.

After all, running through the streets nude — even if it’s because you aced all your finals — is a touch illegal.

But if Nick Witte attends Michigan, his top choice school, he might just make a name for himself as the antithesis of one of the university’s most well-known graduates: Dr. Robert Aktins.

That’s because Witte, a senior wide receiver on the Sage Hill School football team, is an unapologetic and passionate lover of carbs, especially pasta.

Atkins, remember, was the guy who briefly led America through its down-with-bread-up-with-bacon weight-loss craze a few years back.

Witte, currently a member of Sage Hill’s cooking club, said his best dishes all involve pasta.

Witte’s not even Italian — though he said he wishes he was — he’s half Japanese. But he knows his way around some marinara sauce.

That’s not to say he doesn’t appreciate his Japanese heritage; quite the contrary.

Though his mother chose not to teach Witte to speak Japanese while he was growing up, Witte is taking classes outside of school to learn the language.

A trip to Nagoya, Japan when Witte was 15 helped give him confidence and independence to seek out a large school — Michigan has 40,025 students — far from home.

Witte lived with a Japanese family of four, a couple in their early thirties with two small children, for a month and a half during the summer between his freshman and sophomore years of high school.

They didn’t speak much English, and he didn’t speak much Japanese, so much of the communication was sign language, Witte said.

He had to do a lot on his own, and when he returned to the states, he wanted it to stay that way.

“I’ve gone to small schools my whole life,” Witte said. “Sage is tiny for a high school. I’ve always wanted to go to a bigger school, so I think I’ll fit well. It’s a huge, huge university.”

In addition, Witte, who said he’ll likely major in business, is ready to drop the football pads to simply be a fan. He’s salivating at the thought of witnessing a Michigan-Ohio State football game up close.

“If I end up at a smaller school, and I have the opportunity to play sports, that would be great,” Witte said. “I just feel like I’m more set on being at a big school, and I’m content with not playing on that level.”

As a senior, Witte has become a favorite target for senior quarterback Jamie McGee. The two have been friends since they were about 7 years old, and they attended the same middle school. Witte has 43 catches for 880 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

Witte caught the game-winning pass, a two-point conversion, in Sage Hill’s comeback 36-35 win over Linfield Christian Friday. He also caught the Lightning’s last touchdown of the evening.

“To come back in the last few minutes from 14 points down and make the game-winning catch, that’s as pretty much as good as it gets for me,” Witte said. “It was awesome. That game was such a topsy-turvy game. I mean, we were up 14-nothing, down by 14 going into the fourth quarter. It was such a surreal game. And then to win in the last seconds — it was just amazing. I’d take that, any day, over a 48-nothing win.”

Witte’s played football since his freshman year, but was unable to participate as a sophomore or junior because of the same recurring injury. He’s separated his left shoulder four times, and he’s had two surgeries to repair it.

“We all thought he was kind of crazy coming out for football this year, because of the past problems with his shoulder,” McGee said. “But he decided to come out, and he’s played really, really well.”

Witte first separated the shoulder playing football as a freshman, then again playing basketball the same year. Witte injured the shoulder again playing basketball as a junior, and incurred the final injury while he was wakeboarding.

“I know all the orthopedic surgeons around here and all the physical therapists,” Witte said, laughing. “Everyone knows who I am.”

Still, two surgeries later, he was right back on the football field. It’d be impossible to drag him away.

“Over the summer, I didn’t even know if I was going to play or not, because it depended on how my rehab went, and I was really determined to play,” Witte said. “I took my physical therapy even that much more serious than I did before. I really wanted to have a strong senior year, in football and basketball.

“With my past history, it didn’t make much sense for me to go out here, with such a contact sport, and my parents didn’t really want me to do it also, but I just made a decision that it’s my senior year, and I just want to go out and play because I really enjoy playing football.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at soraya.mcdonald@latimes.com.