Week Seventeen in Review

Posted on December 31, 2012 by longsnap

Snapping Moves

The NFL Regular Season ended last night and, for the second consecutive season, Zak DeOssie of the Giants was the leading tackler in punt coverage among snappers.  DeOssie had a solo tackle this week and concluded the season with 8 total tackles.  Last season, DeOssie had 10 tackles.

Andrew Economos (Bucs) and Cullen Loeffler (Vikings) also had solo tackles, while Christian Yount (Browns), Beau Brinkley (Titans), and Jon Condo (Raiders) had assists yesterday.

During the 2012 season, there were only a handful of snapping changes, all of which were due to injury as opposed to performance.  Condo and Redskins snapper Nick Sundberg were both injured in Week One.  Sundberg missed half the season while client Justin Snow filled his role, while Condo was able to snap the following week.  Mike Windt of the Chargers was injured in Week Eleven and Kyle Nelson finished the season.

The final NFL Long Snappers Chart for the 2012 Regular Season is below.

2012 NFL Season Final

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Week Sixteen in Review

Posted on December 24, 2012 by longsnap

NEWS & NOTES

Week Sixteen is complete and without a Monday Night Football game, this post is a day earlier than usual.  It was announced today that veteran snapper Patrick Mannelly of the Bears, who was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, has signed a one year extension that will keep him in Chicago for at least the 2013 season.

With one week left in the regular season, Zak DeOssie of the Giants leads all snappers with 7 tackles, 6 of which are solo tackles. Matt Overton of the Colts is second with 6 tackles in punt coverage, 4 of which are solo stops, in his first NFL season.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Sixteen is below.

Week Sixteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

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Week Fifteen in Review

Posted on December 18, 2012 by longsnap

NEWS & NOTES

Week Fifteen of the NFL season is complete and the snapping position remains stable.  With the end of the regular season approaching, teams out of contention are likely looking forward to next season and the start of veteran free agency.

The snapping position has a number of free agents heading into the off-season.  Unrestricted free agents, who can sign with any team once free agency starts, include Clark Harris (Bengals), Patrick Mannelly (Bears), Jon Dorenbos (Eagles), Don Muhlbach (Lions), Greg Warren (Steelers), LP Ladouceur (Cowboys), Thomas Gafford (Chiefs) and Andrew Economos (Bucs).

Restricted free agents can be retained by their existing teams if the team offers them a one-year contract, but the player can entertain offers from other teams that can be matched by the existing club.  Snappers who are scheduled to be restricted free agents after the season are Morgan Cox (Ravens), Justin Drescher (Saints), Mike Windt (Chargers), Tanner Purdum (Jets), Clint Gresham (Seahawks) and Nick Sundberg (Redskins).

In game action, three snappers, Aaron Brewer (Broncos), Cullen Loeffler (Vikings) and Zak DeOssie (Giants), each recorded tackles in punt coverage this week.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Fifteen is below.

Week Fifteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

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Week Fourteen in Review

Posted on December 11, 2012 by longsnap

Kevin Gold

Week Fourteen is complete and was relatively uneventful at the snapping position.  Perhaps the biggest news occurred off the field, as it was revealed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an interview with Time magazine that the NFL is considered eliminating the kickoff.  The concept is to avoid the dangerous collisions that tend to occur on kickoffs.

An alternative being discussed could benefit snappers, as teams would be given the ball at their own 30 yard line after a score.  It would be a fourth and 15 play in which the team could either go for it or punt.  This move could increase the number of punts in a game.

49ers snapper Brian Jennings was featured in an ESPN.com story on how he uses yoga to keep his body in balance.  Yoga is a big part of his “wellness lifestyle”, which includes other elements such as massages, acupuncture, nutrition and supplements.  Jennings is a certified yoga instructor and believes that yoga has helped his posture, range of motion as well as his balance.

Snappers Beau Brinkley (Titans), Andrew Economos (Bucs), Garrison Sanborn (Bills) and Zak DeOssie (Giants) had solo tackles, while Morgan Cox (Ravens) has an assisted tackle.

The Week Fourteen NFL Long Snappers Chart is below.

Week Fourteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

Posted in NFL, Snapping in the Media, Tackles | Leave a comment

Mazza Wins 2012 Chris Rubio Award

Posted on December 9, 2012 by longsnap

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Although many football fans are now aware that Texas A&M freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel won the 2012 Heisman Trophy, another big award was given last night at  the high school level.

Cole Mazza, a senior long snapper from California, was awarded the 2012 Herbalife 24 Chris Rubio Award as the top snapper at the high school level.  Mazza was announced as the winner at a ceremony in Los Angeles last night and will be attending Alabama on a full scholarship next season.

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Week Thirteen in Review

Posted on December 4, 2012 by longsnap

NEWS & NOTES

Week Thirteen is complete and was marred by the tragice events Saturday morning involving the Kansas City Chiefs and the murder-suicide involving linebacker Jevon Belcher.   On the field, Mike Leach (Cardinals), Brian Jennings (49ers) and Andrew Economos (Bucs) each recorded solo tackles in punt coverage.

The only transaction of note is the Bengals have added snapper/tight end Bryce Davis to the practice squad.  Davis was with the Bengals in training camp and had a number of tryouts with teams as a snapper during the season.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Thirteen is below.

Week Thirteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

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Dorenbos the Magician

Posted on December 2, 2012 by longsnap

About the Blog

Each of the 32 snappers in the NFL has a very unique talent.  One of them, Jon Dorenbos of the Eagles, is also a professional in another interesting career.  Dorenbos is a professional magician and ESPN recently did a feature story on his talents.

Below is a video of one of his card tricks, known as “Sam the Bellhop”.

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Burlsworth Award Trophy Nominees Includes Two Snappers

Posted on November 29, 2012 by longsnap

Fifty college football players were recently nominated for The Burlsworth Trophy, including two snappers.  The Trophy is given to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on, without any financial aid of any kind.

Senior snapper Carson Tinker from Alabama, a top prospect for the 2013 NFL Draft, and junior snapper Ryan Iverson of Colorado, were each nominated.  The winner will be announced on December 3 at a banquet in Springdale, Arkansas.

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Week Twelve in Review

Posted on November 27, 2012 by longsnap

Week Twelve of the NFL season is complete and included the regular season debut of snapper Kyle Nelson with the Chargers.  Nelson, who entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Saints last year, has bounced around a number of teams the past two seasons in addition to various NFL tryouts this season.  Nelson replaces Mike Windt, who is on injured reserve with a wrist injury.  Nelson had a solid debut in a loss to the Ravens.

On the tackle front, Clark Harris (Bengals), Jeremy Cain (Jaguars), Jake McQuaide (Rams), and Zak DeOssie (Giants) each had solo tackles, while Tanner Purdum (Jets) and Matt Overton (Colts) were credited with assists.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Twelve is below.

Week Twelve NFL Long Snappers Chart

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Finalists Announced for Herbalife 24 Chris Rubio Award

Posted on November 25, 2012 by longsnap

On Thanksgiving night, three finalists were announced for the second annual Herbalife 24 Chris Rubio Award.  The Award is given to the best high school long snapper and I was recently honored to be on the selection committee this year.

The winner will be announced on December 8th in Los Angeles and the three that will compete for the award are Cole Mazza, Gabe Miller and Scott Sypniewski.  All three are seniors and each have already committed to colleges.  Mazza will attend Alabama, Miller is headed to Nebraska, while Sypniewski will play for Michigan.

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