Joe Cardona

DEAR SNAPPERS,

This week's Snapper Spotlight goes out to one of the badest in the business. A man that has earned himself a Super Bowl ring and is looking for another this weekend! Joe Cardona, a 2015 fifth round draft pick deserves the respect and admiration of all the snappers out there and embodies what it means to live the Long Snapping LifeStyle more than most. Some might say that he is a pure long snapper, that he can't play another position, but this guy does it all on and off the field.

Joe Cardona is a money ball snapper. He could hit a dime from 7 yards and a quarter from 15. In the 2015 NFL Combine, Joe hit 30 reps of 225 on bench, a solid 4.91 40 yard dash, and a 33 inch vertical. He recorded a heater at 41 mph at a 2015 Kohl's Camp and was a Top 12 snapper in the Chris Sailer National Camps while working with Chris Rubio. It wasn't a big surprise when Joe got his opportunity to play when he was drafted by the New England Patriots and has started every game since being drafted. With the 166thpick in the drafted he comes in way ahead of that kid from Michigan they call Tom Brady. Sure, Tom can throw a decent ball but can he do it between his legs?

A Patriot On And Off The Field

His elite skill is what got his a shot at the league, but that's only half the reason that he earned our respect here at Long Snapping Lifestyle. Joe Cardona was the starting long snapper at Navy for four years and is now a Naval Reserve Officer with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. This man is an American Hero! His first season in the NFL he served in active duty at the academy in Newport, Rhode Island, and still started all 16 games while giving the patriots a reliable cannon for their Fourth Down Army. You're welcome Gostkowski!

His military background has spread to every part of what makes him a great long snapper. An incredible leader no matter what the situation is. To work with the intensity and effort that this man does every day is unbelievable, and a level that is matched by very few. Number 49 is someone that every long snapper coming up should watch and learn about. A player that works on his craft to be the best while still giving back to the community and to the other soldiers who serve our country. I highly recommend checking out the link below. The video highlights a night of giving back to the troops that was organized by spearheaded by Joe with the help of the rest of the Patriots organization.

It isn't easy to be an athlete at that high of a level, and it is even harder to balance that while you're serving your country, and neither of those things goes unappreciated by all of us living the Long Snapping Lifestyle!

Good luck to Joe Cardona and the rest of the Patriots this weekend!

To the rest of the snappers out there, keep grinding this offseason!

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