If you are reading this you are either a Long Snapper or someone that is correlated to the glorious art of Long Snapping. You, or the person you are linked with, is going to want to get better and advance. I mean, come on, seriously, who just snaps to snap? You are either trying to get a spot on the bus, become the starter or, like countless people out there, trying to move onto the next level.
Obviously, Long Snapping and the recruitment of Long Snappers has grown immensely (pause while I stick my chest out and sit with pride for a second….ok, that’s good) and it is not just being able to snap a dead animal really fast anymore. You need to know the ins and outs of recruiting. You need to know what it is going to look and feel like. You need to know where you stand. You need to know, essentially, what the process is. Recruiting and being recruited is a monster that can be your best friend or your worst enemy. And, just like many things, the more you know about it, the more you can prepare yourself for what to expect in this process.
Throughout my years of instructing Long Snappers and being involved with countless “recruiting”, I can tell you that it is simply like waves in an ocean. I am very visual person (anyone that has seen me teach can easily attest to this) and this is proven to me to be the best way to explain it. The recruiting process is basically made up of four waves and you will need to see which wave you will ride to the next level. I also find this analogy makes it much easier for everyone to understand the process and relax just a tad. Before I move on, let me clarify that this recruitment article is strictly for Long Snappers. I simply don’t care about other positions or how they are recruited. I care about Long Snappers. Plain and simple.
FIRST WAVE
8th Grade – Signing Day
This wave of recruiting is made up of your freaks….in a good way, of course. Wave one is filled (I will use this term “filled” lightly and you’ll see why in about a minute) with the Long Snappers that are juggernauts. This wave usually will only hold about ten Long Snappers….max. These are the athletes that are beyond ready for the next level about a year prior (think five star Long Snapper by their junior year in high school). These are the kids that are offered and commit early. Very few are within this group. Needless to say, don’t stress if you aren’t riding wave one to the next level.
SECOND WAVE
Signing Day – College Spring Ball (Date varies because they all hold them differently)
This wave usually rolls up with Long Snappers right after signing day. I know how everyone wants to be that guy that they write the articles about and puts the hat on of your school and you sign on that coveted day in February. Snap out of it. It is rare and, like the term’s definition, doesn’t happen often. Just a couple years ago it never happened (pause for chest sticking out again). The Second Wave forms after signing day when a college has offered X amount of “more important” positions (remember reading about a college that has offered four quarterbacks or nine running backs….that is what I am talking about) but then, on signing day, only one, or none of those players commit to their school. Guess what the colleges have now? Full scholarships! This is when a school needs to sit down and think, do they really want to go after the 200th ranked wide receiver in the country or should they go after one of the top ten Long Snappers in the country?
Wave two can also be for those partial late bloomers that did pretty good their senior year of football but did exceptional at my Vegas Event. Doing well there can obviously up your stock very fast.
You ever hear of a kid named Scott Daly? Did you ever stop to think of how he got offered less than 24 hours after Vegas? Hmmmmm. True, he would technically be considered a severe Wave Oner but his experience exemplifies my Vegas point.
THIRD WAVE
College Spring Ball – Mid July
When a college decides that they simply don’t need a Long Snapper for their recruiting class they are banking on one thing: they have a guy on their roster that can handle the job. That is great and they should since my hope is that he is one of my guys anyways. When a college has that one particular guy on campus and he has not played in a game, they will use Spring Ball has one immense tryout for him. They will test him to the limits. They will do a ton punts and pats under massive pressure to ensure their guy is ready for that first game in a few short months. During Spring Ball is when a second string, never played or proven Long Snapper can really make a name for himself….in a good or bad way.
Right after Spring Ball is when the Third Wave Long Snappers will start getting a lot of contact. This is because the school that is contacting them found out their guy they “thought” could do it simply cannot. Now they are essentially behind the eight ball and need to move quickly to fill their spot with a top tier Long Snapper that can go in there and get the job done now. This wave might be the most populated wave for Long Snappers. Schools will go hard after a kid and want him there as soon as possible. I have had kids take a recruiting trip, commit and get to campus to live all in one week.
FOURTH WAVE
About One Week Prior to the Start of College Hell Week
This group could also be called CODE RED! This wave is filled with Long Snappers that will be grabbed up by a college that had an unforeseeable thing happen to their starting Long Snapper. This would include, but is not limited to, not passing enough summer school classes so he is not eligible, married and left, major injury during summer workouts or just flat out told the school he is done with football. I have heard several different stories and the only thing that matters is that the school needs someone and they need them NOW. This wave is not very populated and is usually in severe cases but it definitely can happen.
That is pretty much how I view the recruitment of Long Snappers. The obvious next question is, “Rubio, what if I am not in one of those waves?” The answer is simple, you need to either plan on going to a JC to grow with your body and your snapping or head to a college that you are already admitted to because of course you applied to schools you wanted to attend regardless of what happens with Long Snapping.
Hope this helps and see you soon.
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