Long Snapper Love

Aaron Crawford watches upside down as the ball spirals away between his legs. The laces rotate in a blur and the ball finds its target, the holder’s waiting hands, in less than a second. Crawford quickly transitions into an upright stance, but listens closely to the crowd. Silence means he’s done his job; uproar signals a costly mistake. The punt sails over his head and the crowd holds its applause, saving its excitement for the return man. For Crawford, it’s just another perfect snap.
Last season, Zach Collaros had a completion percentage of 66.9%. Brett Maher kicked field goals at a success rate of 82%. It is impossible to compare statistics across positions in football with the diversity of skills that comprise a roster, but it is possible to compare expectations. Collaros’ passing percentage was in line with his career totals of around 70% – quality numbers for a starting quarterback. Sean Whyte posted the benchmark percentage for CFL kickers in 2016 as the only kicker in the league operating above 90% efficiency. In short, at quarterback, kicker, and just about every other football position, there is some room for error. Long snapper is the only position where perfection is the expectation.
Aaron Crawford wasn’t always capable of perfect long snapping. As a University of St. Mary Husky, he had virtually no experience when the team’s resident long snapper (Ryan King, now an Edmonton Eskimo) departed. After practice, players on the team confidently lined up to replace King.
“Everyone thinks they can snap,” says Crawford, concerning the league-wide perception of his position. “There’s a lot more to it than just snapping,” he adds.
The Huskies lined up at center, one-by-one dropping into the trademark stance. Each rifled a ball between his legs and quickly learned it was more difficult than expected. Balls sailed wide, wobbled pathetically in the air, or skipped across the turf before reaching their targets. One at a time, players were ruled out for one reason or another. Crawford assumed the stance, fired the ball between his legs, and watched as it flew in a lazy spiral, landing somewhere near the target.

“Everyone threw a ball between their legs and mine was the straightest. That’s how it happened,” says Crawford.
Ever since, Crawford has been a member of the long snapping fraternity, but his development in the position only took off during his time in Hamilton.
“They [the Tiger-Cats] let me do it in a preseason game in Toronto,” he remembers. “Looking back now is pretty funny. I definitely wasn’t anywhere near where I should be. I didn’t think anything of it, because the ball got to the kicker, and he kicked it. All good right?” Crawford says with a grin. “I didn’t think operations times, didn’t think snap speed. Never took anything into consideration.”
There was a lot for Crawford to consider, and former Ticats kicker, Justin Medlock, let him know it.
“The most help I got was from the kicker at the time, Medlock. Basically, through him getting frustrated I figured out what not to do,” laughs Crawford.
Another mentor Crawford leaned on is the recently retired Randy Chevrier, longtime snapper for the Calgary Stampeders. Crawford watched countless videos of Chevrier, and worked to emulate his form. Crawford spent even more time on the field.
“Now I snap a ball at least 100 times a week, but it’s a lot more in the offseason than during the season. In my first year I asked questions, but it was mostly a lot of reps. Way more than usual when I first started out practicing on the sidelines,” says Crawford.
Crawford has developed into one of the league’s best long snappers, but he’s had to learn a lot to get there. A good snap spans the seven yards between snapper and kicker in between 0.7 and 0.75 seconds. The longer the air time, the greater the chance the kick will be blocked. Considering Will Hill’s Week One performance in Toronto, twice blocking Lirim Hajrullahu’s field goal attempts, the pace of the snap can have a major impact on the scoreboard.
The velocity and accuracy of the snap aren’t everything. According to Crawford, there are other key aspects to the position.
“A lot of work goes into getting the snap right, then getting in a position where you’re able to block and get off that block, and finally being able to get downfield and be effective in the coverage team,” explains Crawford.
Three phases: snap, protection, coverage.

The importance of the kicking game and field position in Canadian football means that each of those phases must be handled effectively. The changing demands of the position have highlighted the need for long snapping specialists, a far cry from common practice in decades past. Traditionally, a backup center could fill the position, but with the complex coverage schemes employed by today’s special teams coordinators coupled with the increased size of offensive lineman, it is unlikely those players would be effective in the coverage phase. This has led to a specific body type ideal for the position: big enough to protect the kicker and quick enough to make tackles downfield. Crawford fits the mold.
Football fans expect the snap to be perfect every single play, but long snappers are human too. Despite remarkable consistency, sometimes long snappers make mistakes, and that’s when people start paying attention.
“When I first started, I made mistakes, trying to overthink all the things I was supposed to be doing. You just have to cut and copy every single snap and make it as much like the other ones as possible. Set up, come up, hands on the ball, everything from start to finish: if it’s the same, it’s good,” says Crawford.
The coaching staff plays an important role in allowing Crawford to overcome those rare mistakes when they do happen.
“Having a coach and a kicker that expect perfection but allow me the freedom to fail after I have a snap go wild makes it really easy to play,” explains Crawford.
Crawford will continue to do his job consistently – unheralded, and under the radar. After hundreds of perfect snaps, and seasons without applause, Crawford deserves a little long snapper love.