The Knights senior long snapper will be playing in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.
Watch Stephen Klotz’s mid-season highlights, as he shows why he is the top long snapper in the region. (Video via Hudl)
October 28, 2015, 2:00 p.m. — Long snapping is not a position that garners much interest or recognition. Essentially, it is an invisible player with a critical job. Stephen Klotz knows this well, yet he has managed to draw enough attention to earn an invitation to a national all-star game.
The St. Mary’s Ryken senior long snapper will be playing in the nationally televised Blue-Grey All-American Bowl in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Everbank Field on Jan. 16, 2016. Among the 2015 alumni of the game, 61 players went on to make collegiate rosters, including national power programs like Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU.
“They sent me a package and asked if I would like to go, this is my first bowl game so I was excited and wanted to get the experience,” Klotz said.
Klotz, who also plays linebacker for the Knights (3-5), was able to earn recognition for his specialty craft by attending national long snapping camps, the most notable being the Rubio Long Snapping summer camp. Rubio is an organization that not only holds camps, but also ranks the top prep long snappers from each class and gives them stars, similar to recruits at other positions.
According to Rubio, Klotz is a 4.5 star talent and the No. 47 prospect in the class of 2016 out of 307 eligible players. He is the top-rated long snapper not just in the WCAC, but from the entire Maryland, Virginia or Washington D.C region.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound snapper first learned the skill as a sophomore playing for the Knights junior varsity squad, and said it took some time getting used to being upside down.
“When I first started I really wasn’t that good,” Klotz said, “but it took a lot of work, I focused on accuracy first and then after that came speed.”
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Speed is certainly one of Klotz’s strengths, as his 15-yard punt snap average is between .70 and .74 seconds.
During his three years learning the craft, Klotz has found that form and flexibility are the most important factors. The weight room can help you get the ball out faster, but the technique is more critical.
Perhaps even more significant than the technique is the mental side of the job.
“There is a lot of pressure in long snapping,” Klotz said. “We like to call ourselves the upside down starting fourth down quarterback.”
Klotz says a successful game is one in which nobody knows his name or even realizes he is out there.
“As long as I do my job correctly, I’ll be the unknown player that has an important job to do. But if I mess, up I’ll be known,” he said.
Despite the growing national recognition, Klotz has yet to receive any college offers, but does have interest from a handful of schools. Unfortunately for him, long snappers and kickers are typically the last positions filled on a roster.
At this point, his top choice would be the Naval Academy, as he is in regular communication with multiple coaches from their staff.
Klotz believes his experience this season with the Knights in their first year in the WCAC has better prepared him for collegiate football.
“It was definitely a different experience, I got to see what actual D-I athletes look like, from schools like DeMatha, Gonzaga and McNamara,” Klotz said.
With the WCAC competition under his belt and the all-star game experience upcoming, Klotz will have the tools necessary to be successful at the next level. He knows he can do more than long snap, but he focuses on the specialty skill because not many people can do it.
“I can do other positions on the team but they can’t do my position. They’ve tried a few times and it was funny to watch,” he said.
Klotz and the Knights return to action Friday as they host Good Counsel (5-3), before finishing the season at Carroll (4-4).
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