Football is a game of specialists, as even the most casual fan knows. The running back who comes in specifically to be a receiving target on third down and the extra defensive lineman brought on in short yardage situations are just the tip of the iceberg. From kickers to gunners, red zone targets to dime backs, football teams have numerous players who excel at one particular task.
The long snapper might be both the most specialised player on the team and the least heralded. The job is simple but brutal: throw the ball between your legs to someone 15 yards behind you – the punter or the holder – and do so with speed and accuracy. And then get your head up and block.
But the challenge of the task is not the only reason for the specialisation. Having a specialist long snapper allows for practice time with the kicker and punter when the team’s centre is practicing with the starting offence. Being able to do the job reliably makes punts and kicks more likely to succeed, which translates into wins. That’s why, at the time of writing, the NFL’s best long snappers make an average of $1.6m per year.
Ted Kluck’s book digs into the work of these players, whose names are often forgotten even by the team’s biggest fans. As a former college and semi-professional long snapper, Kluck talks to Kevin Gold, an agent who represents long snappers, as well as to coaches and players who played the position. He also attempts to refine his own skills.
Title: Upside Down Football
Author: Ted Kluck
First published: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016
Buy the Book: Amazon US | Amazon UK*
DISTINCTIONS
The Scouting Academy books list
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Review: The View from the O-line
The book blends the immersive, often humorous “embedded reporting” style of Paper Lion with serious, in-depth exploration of a key area of football strategy. Kluck’s journey gives readers a rare look at the unseen precision that keeps a football team running smoothly, and reminds us that even the most overlooked jobs demand greatness.
THE AUTHOR
Ted Kluck is a journalist and author whose writing has appeared in ESPN.com and USA Today. He is the author of several books about a range of topics. His football titles include Upside Down Football, Game Time: Inside College Football, and Paper Tiger: One Athlete’s Journey to the Underbelly of Pro Football.
REVIEWS
Kluck’s book does a great job of explaining all aspects of the modern snapping industry, from high school and college to the professional level. The book will be of value and interest to anyone connected to long snapping at any level or that want to learn more about this fascinating position and those who occupy it at the highest levels.
Longsnap.com
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.
Choice Reviews
The book does an excellent job in looking at the real men who are striving for their place on the field. It is an easy and informative read and we recommend this book for any library.
Gridiron Greats
Ted Kluck’s Upside Down Football is a Plimptonian rocket to that unexplored region of football known as the “Planet of the Long Snappers.” Unique and deeply personal, this engaging book gives the reader an inside look at the highly-specialized athletes who inhabit this world and the agents, coaches, and trainers who orbit them.
Mark Durr, Coffin Corner
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