Longsnap.com

The AFC and NFC Pro Bowl teams will each have dedicated snappers again this year.  Morgan Cox of the Ravens will make his second straight Pro Bowl appearance for the AFC squad, while Jake McQuaide of the Rams will snap for the NFC and make his Pro Bowl debut.  The game will take place next Sunday.

Former Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly runs his own excellent snapping website at longsnapper.com.  The other day, Mannelly posted on his blog a nice story acknowledging some of the snappers who helped developed the position when it became more specialized in the 90’s.

Mannelly wrote the post after training some snappers for this year’s NFL Draft and realizing they did not recognize the names of the influential  snappers.

Below are the snappers that Mannelly named that deserve recognition for helping to make the position what it is today.  Mannelly should also be recognized for his valuable contributions as well.

Mike Bartrum                 93-06 TE 171 Games Played

David Binn                      94-10 LS 256 Games Played

Blair Bush                       78-94 C  246 Games Played

Rob Davis                       96-07 LS 183 Games Played

Steve DeOssie                84-95 LB 175 Games Played

Kendall Gammon          92-06 OL/TE 234 Games Played

Dale Hellastrae              85-01 OL 205 Games Played

Trey Junkin                    83-02 TE 281 Games Played

Brian Kinchen                88-03 TE 193 Games Played

Randy Kirk                     87-99 LB 157 Games Played

Dave Moore                   92-06 TE 220 Games Played

Mike Morris                   87-99 C  188 Games Played

Ed Perry                          97-05 TE 109 Games Played

Mark Rodenhouser       87-99 OL 168 Games Played

Adam Schreiber             84-99 OL 202 Games Played

Dan Turk                         85-99 OL 218 Games Played

Pro Football Focus tracks every player on every play in the NFL and special teams are not immune.  PFF recently published the results from its tracking of every special teams player on every special teams play in an article titled “The Best Special Teamers in the NFL in 2016.”

PFF examined every player on the punt team, punt return team, kickoff team, kick return team and field goals and extra points.  Jon Weeks of the Texans was noted as the best long snapper on punts, with just two inaccurate snaps this season.  Jon Dorenbos of the Eagles was cited as the best field goal snapper, with no inaccurate snaps.

Author Ted Kluck has just written a book that is easily one of my favorites.  The title, Upside Down Football: An Inside Look at Long Snapping in the NFL may instantly reveal why it is so special.  Admittedly, I am credited, at least in part, with encouraging Kluck to write it.

By way of background, in late 2014, I spoke with Kluck at length about my thoughts about long snapping and those that have played the position.  I recommended that Kluck contact some of my NFL snapping clients for further insight.  I did not think much of the conversation again until recently when I saw a description of the book online that referenced me as “NFL snapping super-agent”.

Kluck’s book, formed around his desire to snap in a professional football game and learning to perfect his own snapping skills to do so, profiles many key figures in the snapping world.  Kluck was kind enough to devote Chapter 2 to me, entitled “Kevin Gold: Agent to the Anonymous” and it was fascinating to read my detailed comments to him in print.  Clients Rob Davis and Bryan Pittman also have their own chapters, as do other key figures in the snapping world, from Chris Rubio to Gary Zauner.

Kluck’s book does a great job of explaining all aspects of the modern snapping industry, from high school and college to the professional level.  The book will be of value and interest to anyone connected to long snapping at any level or that want to learn more about this fascinating position and those who occupy it at the highest levels.