"Why NFL Teams Still Can't Live Without a Long Snapper." -By Alex Kirshner: SBNation.com

Dear Snappers,

I hope all of you are out there working on your craft each and every day! This is the best time of the year to make adjustments and try out new long snapping techniques that you've been thinking about. If you've been wanting to switch up your routine or your hand placement, now is the ideal time of the year. Go ahead and check out my post to get some ideas on how you could try to adjust and get better! It's all about improvement for long snappers right now.

This week, I want to review a post I found on SBNation.com. It is all about the value of long snappers in the NFL, but I wanted to put it into perspective for the younger guys. Kirshner focuses on how much value is put on these snappers in the NFL, but the same goes for snappers in college and in high school. If you want to check out the article, here is the link. It was written by Alex Kirshner and it has some great stories from Chris Rubio and insight from Kevin Gold.

Keep Your Head Up

"They had no choice but to bring out the backup, James Harrison, who'd never had to do this in a game before. He failed. Harrison's snap went a full 28 yards in the wrong direction. It bounced through the end zone for a safety, tying the game. Eli Manning led a game-winning touchdown drive after the free kick that followed." -Alex Kirshner on the Steeler's 2008 loss to the Giants.

James Harrison is one of the baddest MOFOs in the game. He is my football workout idol and a complete badass, but he wasn't made for long snapping. If that superhero of a man can't long snap in a game, then chances are neither can the guys on your team that haven't been practicing like you have. If you are having a tough time developing your snapping or you're just hitting a slump, never let the opinions of others get you down. Few can do what you do and you have to remember that. Believe in yourself and know that you will continue to get better.

Can't snap a ball, but damn he can move some weight!

Long Snappers Provide Value

"Each of 32 teams sets aside a spot on the 53-man roster for a guy whose only job is to snap the ball on field goals, extra points, and punts....No team's primary snapper took a single offensive or defensive snap in 2017."

This goes to show how valuable we are as snappers. The highest level of play is not taking your skills for granted, and neither should you. No matter what level you play at, you are providing a ton of value for your team. Long snapping is such a great skill to have because you can create value no matter how old you are. If you are a freshman and high school and you aren't as big, fast, or strong as some of the others guys then learn to show your value in other ways. One of those valuable assets you can bring to the table is long snapping.

If you are looking to get to the college level, this tells you all that you need to know. You can earn that walk-on spot by showing how valuable your snapping is. Teams are always looking for a guy that is willing to put everything else aside and focus on long snapping. You might have been the guy in the newspaper every Saturday morning back in high school, but sometimes you have to move into a position that doesn't get the love or hype that it deserves. You don't want to be the guy on the front page of the sports section when you're a long snapper, but coaches recognize the importance that you bring to the table.

LOOKING TO ADD THAT VALUE:

If you are a football player and you can't long snap, check out my previous blog posts. There are some good ones that focus on basics of how to begin crafting your long snapping skills. Check out the link here!

Keep Working!

"Still, long snappers live a tenuous football life. If they throw more than one or two bad snaps in a season, they'll be cut. If they create a smidgen of an off-field issue, they'll be cut. 'I always said that I can't get in trouble, where a stud athlete, he can get in trouble,' (Brett) Goode says. 'I can't get in trouble for PEDs. There's so many things that as a snapper, you can't do, because a team's pretty much not gonna let you have a four-game suspension. They're just gonna move on.'" -Brett Goode reflecting on what it took to keep his job during his career.

This is why it is so important to keep working on your snapping skills, no matter what level you are at. As a specialist, you have no job security. A younger, better, faster player can come out of nowhere to take your job. You have to continuously work on your craft and sharpen the blade whenever you can. Few can do what we can, but every day there are more and more long snappers joining us. We welcome the competition and it ultimately makes everyone and every team better.

That's all for me today! If you want to read the whole article you can click the link here. Make sure to continue grinding through the spring and let's make the most of the time we have!

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