The skill of long snapping is challenging, even for 10-year CFL veteran Jorgen Hus.
In his constant chase for perfection, Hus says, “For me, it’s the little things, you just have to have a constant desire to just want to be better all the time. I always say it’s almost like a dog chasing its tail. You know, you never quite get it, but you’re always chasing it.”
This skill doesn’t go unnoticed to diehard football fans, as for the last 10 years, Jorgen Hus of the Saskatchewan Roughriders has spent the majority of his time looking through his legs, firing a football back to Roughrider kickers and punters.
In its simplest form, the long snapping position involves snapping a football through your legs, hitting a target, blocking, and flying down the field to make a play. When the position is examined under a microscope, various intricacies factor into being a successful long snapper.
On Saturday, in the CFL’s western final, Hus will play his 149th consecutive game against the BC Lions and fellow former Hilltop Riley Pickett.
“You need luck on your side. You’ve got to stay healthy. But to help get that luck, being in the gym all the time, keeping your body in good shape year-round, goes a long way,” Hus said.
“You are constantly trying to refine your craft at long snapping. I mean, I look back over my 10 years, I’m snapping way differently now than I did in my rookie year,” he added.
Hus says his everyday focus is on improving the little things and perfecting his craft, staying healthy and on the field, and keeping his relevancy in professional ranks
One day, Matthew MacAulay of the Regina Thunder hopes to join both Pickett and Hus in the pro ranks. MacAulay has been trying to perfect the craft by any means necessary.
MacAulay believes that long snappers are overlooked, but they have the opportunity to be involved in deciding moments in the game. “Not to sound arrogant, but being the snapper is a pretty important role. Teams rely on us to be consistent every single play, because we could be the reason why a team loses a game.”
When asked about his experience, MacAulay said, “I was lucky to have the opportunity to work with coach Stelter at Special Teams U, and then this past off-season worked out with Jordan Hus, and Riley Pickett. I’ve been able to learn by myself, but also learned some newer, better techniques from other long snappers.”
MacAulay hopes to teach aspiring long snappers the craft in the hopes of seeing higher levels of long snappers in the future.
Featured image: Jorgen Hus and teammates lining up for a punt (Photo courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughriders)
