Week Eleven of the NFL Regular Season is complete and there were no major snapping issues. Patrick Mannelly of the Bears remains sidelined with a calf injury, so Jeremy Cain handled the snaps for the second straight week, including a good snap on a game-winning field goal in overtime.
Just one snapper, Carson Tinker (Jaguars), recorded a tackle in punt coverage this week. The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Eleven in below.
Three college snappers are among the nominees for the 2103 Burlsworth Trophy. Alan D’Appollonio (Arkansas), Ryan Iverson (Colorado) and Kelly Mason (Kentucky) are the snappers on the nomination list. Iverson was also nominated last season.
The Burlsworth Trophy is named after former Arkansas walk-on Brandon Burlsworth, who was killed shortly after being selected in the 1999 NFL Draft. The award is given to honor an outstanding college football player that began their career as a walk-on.
Week Ten is complete and marked the return to the NFL of veteran snapper Jeremy Cain, who filled in for the injured Patrick Mannelly in Chicago. Cain was released by the Jaguars in training camp. Mannelly is expected to return at some point this season. Although it is likely coincidental, the Bears are 1-7 in games without Mannelly at snapper. This is just the second change at the snapping position this year, with the Redskins being the other NFL club that has made a snapping change due to injury.
In game action, the Giants blocked a Raider punt for a touchdown. Multiple snappers recorded tackles in punt coverage this week, with solo tackles from Clark Harris (Bengals), Morgan Cox (Ravens), Matt Overton (Colts), Jon Condo (Raiders), Zak DeOssie (Giants) and LP Ladouceur (Cowboys) and an assisted tackle from Josh Harris (Falcons).
The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Ten is below.
In a blog post last September, I mentioned the inspirational story of the long snapper at the University of Texas, Nate Boyer. The Longhorns snapper has a truly amazing history, from not having played high school football, to being a veteran of the Army Green Berets, to first learning how to snap after making the Texas squad as a walk-on.
Boyer’s tale also caught the attention of Jordan Conn of Grantland.com. Conn published a detailed feature story this week on Boyer, who is now 32 years old. Although snapping is just a small component of the bigger picture with Boyer, it is a reminder of the tremendous character and dedication that are common at the snapping position.
Veteran snapper Patrick Mannelly of the Bears injured his calf in the Monday Night game against the Packers and may miss a few games. As a result, the Bears added another veteran snapper today, Jeremy Cain, who was cut by the Jaguars near the end of training camp.
Cain will be reunited with his former special teams coach in Jacksonville, Joe DeCamillas, who joined the Bears in the same capacity this season.
Week Nine is complete and the long snapping position remains stable. In game action, the Chargers blocked two first half field goal attempts versus the Redskins, while the Packers blocked a Bears punt by Adam Podlesh, the first blocked punt of his career.
With respect to tackles in punt coverage, Thomas Gafford (Chiefs), Beau Brinkley (Titans) and Christian Yount (Browns) had solo tackles, while Andrews Economos (Bucs) added an assisted tackle. The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Nine is below.
Week Eight is done and featured a rare poor punt snap from Zak DeOssie of the Giants. DeOssie launched a punt snap well over the head of punter Steve Weatherford which resulted in an Eagles touchdown. To his credit, DeOssie faced the music after the game, acknowledging to the media that his miscue was “demoralizing.”
In punt coverage, Mike Leach of the Cardinals had a tackle and an assist, Thomas Gafford (Chiefs) had a solo tackle and Jon Condo (Raiders) recorded an assisted tackle.
The NFL Long Snapper Chart after Week Eight is below.
Week Seven is complete and marked the first change at the snapping position of the season. Kyle Nelson handled the snaps for the Redskins in place of Nick Sundberg, who was lost for the season in last week’s game.
In a press conference yesterday, Bears General Manager Phil Emery paid his veteran snapper, Patrick Mannelly, the ultimate compliment, calling him one of the “eight wonders of the world.”
On the tackle front, Danny Aiken of the Patriots recorded two solo tackles, while Mike Leach (Cardinals) added an assist. Perhaps the highlight of the snapping action this week was in last night’s Monday Night Football contest. In an otherwise difficult game to watch, the snappers, Cullen Loeffler (Vikings) and Zak DeOssie (Giants), each recorded fumble recoveries in punt coverage within a few minutes of each other.
The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Seven is below.
With the college season well underway, it is a good time to examine some of the top long snapping prospects for next year’s NFL Draft. Although most draft publications do not list snappers, two notable exceptions are ESPN.com and NFLDraftScout.com.
ESPN.com has Marcus Heit (Kansas State) as the top prospect, followed by Trevor Gillette (Rice), Casey Kreiter (Iowa), Jareth Glanda (Michigan) and Ryan Iverson (Colorado).
NFLDraftScout.com lists Cody Booth (Temple) in the top spot, followed by Gillette, Jake Lembke (Auburn), Zach Northern (Baylor) and Andrew Suter (Oklahoma State).
The Redskins added snapper Kyle Nelson today to replace injured Nick Sundberg. Nelson was in camp with the Niners and Seahawks this preseason and snapped for the Chargers last year in the regular season after Mike Windt’s injury.
