Publication date:
08 December 2016Length of book:
198 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442257115
The long snapper is perhaps the most overlooked and underappreciated position in football. He spends a great deal of his career bent over a football, with a guy either kneeling seven yards behind him or standing back at 15 yards. In a sense, the long snapper has one job—to go unnoticed. If he is noticed, it probably means he’s flubbed a snap—and for a long snapper, a single mistake can mean instant unemployment.
In Upside Down Football: An Inside Look at Long Snapping in the NFL, Ted Kluck shares the unique stories of these often-unseen high-pressure athletes. To fully explore the art of long snapping, Kluck attempts to perfect his own long-snapping technique, enlisting NFL snapping super-agent Kevin Gold and former longtime NFL snapper Justin Snow to help him. He also learns from elite NFL special teams coach Gary Zauner, experiences the camp circuit via snapping guru Chris Rubio, trains with snapping coach Nolan Owen, and talks with Green Beret and college snapper Nate Boyer.
Upside Down Football features in-depth interviews with players, coaches, agents, and scouts, introducing the reader to men who have snapped at the game’s highest level and to those who helped them get there. NFL and college football fans, along with long snappers of all levels, will enjoy this entertaining and enlightening perspective on the most underappreciated position in football.
In Upside Down Football: An Inside Look at Long Snapping in the NFL, Ted Kluck shares the unique stories of these often-unseen high-pressure athletes. To fully explore the art of long snapping, Kluck attempts to perfect his own long-snapping technique, enlisting NFL snapping super-agent Kevin Gold and former longtime NFL snapper Justin Snow to help him. He also learns from elite NFL special teams coach Gary Zauner, experiences the camp circuit via snapping guru Chris Rubio, trains with snapping coach Nolan Owen, and talks with Green Beret and college snapper Nate Boyer.
Upside Down Football features in-depth interviews with players, coaches, agents, and scouts, introducing the reader to men who have snapped at the game’s highest level and to those who helped them get there. NFL and college football fans, along with long snappers of all levels, will enjoy this entertaining and enlightening perspective on the most underappreciated position in football.
Upside Down Football presents information about the most ‘overlooked,’ yet most critical position on the field. As popular as American football is, there are positions and players who can fly under the radar. For instance, can the reader of this review name the long snapper on a favorite football team? In the small world of long snapping, players have one job—get the ball (quickly and accurately) into the hands of the punter or kicker. Kluck, an award-winning author and sports writer, interviews high-profile players, coaches, instructors, and camp directors to provide a thorough background of the football position and subject. He provides many personal accounts and experiences, while taking the reader along on his journey and allowing a look into the world of long snapping. Kluck brings his experience as a writer, teacher, former college and semi-professional long snapper, and lover of football. The author adds an interesting dimension to the book. He covers the impact of social media and internet influences, and how they have changed the recruiting and marketing of athletes directly to colleges, universities, and professional teams. This is the book to read for an in-depth look into the world of a long snapper.
Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and general readers.
Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and general readers.