By Avery Hill
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — For New England Patriots rookie long snapper Julian Ashby, just making the NFL puts him in elite company. Becoming a starter in the Super Bowl in his first year is hard to process.
“Like, that’s what I dreamed of, and that’s always been the best-case scenario,” Ashby said. “But I think God’s been good, because this is more than I could have ever imagined.”
Ashby, alongside Seattle Seahawks snapper Chris Stoll, may only see the field a handful of times Sunday — the most playing time either man totaled this season was 12 snaps in a game — but they’re vying for a chance to join the list of Super Bowl champions.
They likely won’t make any headlines during the game, but that’s a good thing. Any attention drawn to the league’s most obscure position is likely a sign they messed up.
“Definitely knowing that I’m one of 32 in the league and one of two in the Super Bowl means a lot,” Stoll said. “It means all the work and time I put in has paid off.”
Thanks to dynasty teams, there have been many snappers who have won not just one, but multiple Super Bowls. That includes 2000-08 Patriots long snapper Lonnie Paxton, who’s in a tie for the most Super Bowl victories at the position with three.
The winning snapper the last time the Patriots played the Seahawks in the Super Bowl was Danny Aiken. There’s even Ashby’s predecessor, Joe Cardona, who won two.
Ashby hadn’t talked to any of Foxborough’s formers ahead of the Super Bowl, but he was congratulated by Morgan Cox, a Super Bowl winner with Baltimore in 2013 and a current Tennessee Titan.
See, the niche position is a fraternity. Snappers often train and meet up with each other, though Sunday will be the first time Ashby and Stoll have gotten together.
“We actually have the same agent, so a little bit of a connection there,” Ashby said. “But look forward to getting to know him.”
Snappers also will watch each other’s film and Stoll, a third-year player, has liked what he’s seen out of the rookie.
“He’s going through the same things that I went through,” Stoll said. “There’s always that learning curve. His feet are really quick. Snaps are accurate. He’s doing a great job.”
The profile and attributes of a long snapper typically vary depending on special teams coaches and their demands. The position has also changed over the years, with those like long-time Chicago Bear Patrick Mannelly being former offensive linemen, while recent snappers can be described as hybrid linebackers.
Ashby, who was drafted in the seventh round out of Vanderbilt, has a calling card of getting down the field in a hurry to make a play.
He has three tackles on the year — the Cleveland Browns’ Rex Sunahara leads the position with seven and Stoll got one — which is an impressive feat with the Patriots punting the seventh-fewest times in the league.
But the ability to cover is secondary at that spot. What’s a must is doing the main job.
Sticking with a practice groove gives them an edge on an extended road trip like Super Bowl week.
“It’s just about trying to find ways to keep the routine the same,” Ashby said. “So how can I translate everything that I do at home out here to California?”
Stoll expressed a similar sentiment, shooting down any thought of preparing differently when things are working.
That defines him, and just about every snapper. Reserve center Nick Maranges said Stoll is the same person every day.
As he, and Ashby, look toward Sunday, they’ll hope not just to be the same, but to be treated the same as they were all season —under the radar.
“There’s only one of us on each team, and that’s the fun part about it,” Ashby said. “You know what you have to do going into the game, you know exactly when your number is going to be called, and so it’s fun to prepare that way and know what it’s gonna look like.”
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Avery Hill is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.
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