Long-Snapper Largely Unheralded, Abundantly Important
9/17/2008 8:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 17, 2008
By Rose DiPaula, Athletics Media Relations Staff
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Any successful football team tends to be good at doing the little things that matter most. That attention to the intricate details of the game serves as the foundation for great things to happen. As Maryland's starting long-snapper for the last four years, senior Andrew Schmitt is one important piece of the Terrapins' puzzle.
One of the lesser-known facts about the Terps is that they have the nation's longest streak of successfully-executed punts without having one blocked, dating back to 1999. Playing a vital role in that streak, Schmitt has served as the team's long-snapper in each of his four years - but not before benefiting from the influence of someone who is very close to him.
Schmitt, a native of Derry, Pa., came to Maryland after watching his older brother Kyle, who is now a graduate assistant coach for the Terps, play at Maryland. Coming out-of-state to be a walk-on at Maryland was surprisingly not a tough decision for Schmitt.
"I had a couple choices. I could've played quarterback at a smaller school, like Bucknell or Slippery Rock, or I could have gone to Penn State and just been a normal student and try and be an engineer, like my dad," Andrew Schmitt said. "I came down to every home game when Kyle played, and I loved the atmosphere, I loved the people. I met so many people that were his friends and now are good friends of mine, too. It's just where I wanted to be."
Said Kyle Schmitt of his little brother's decision: "He wanted to a part of big-time college football and he had some abilities being a long-snapper, so I guess I was a big part of it."
The sibling duo never played on the same team in high school due to age separation, so it was an interesting twist to Andrew's first and Kyle's last years as Terps.
"It was definitely cool to play together," Andrew Schmitt said. "Kyle is one of my three older brothers, and my brother, Mike, and I got to play basketball and football together in high school. Getting to play with two of your brothers is pretty cool. It was a lot of fun."
Being the older, more experienced brother, Kyle Schmitt offered his younger sibling some words of advice prior to the start of his Terps career.
"He was a walk-on and I told him, `If you want to get on the field, you've kind of got to find your niche. Being a special teams guy is the best way to do it,' so I told him to find his niche and he did, obviously," Kyle Schmitt said. "He's played a ton of snaps and he's started for four years,"
Since arriving in College Park, one of the Maryland football alumni Andrew Schmitt has met is former Terp long-snapper, Jon Condo, who currently plays for the Oakland Raiders. After doing some long-snapping in high school and receiving his brother's advice, Andrew talked to Condo. Since Condo left Maryland, the two have remained in touch about their ongoing punt execution streak.
"He's a very good friend of my family's. He actually really helped me with my long snap when I was a freshman," Andrew Schmitt said. "I saw him this summer and we talked about it. We joke about it, but also we have a lot of pride in it and a sense of pride towards each other."
Despite being such an important part of a game, the long-snapper does not get much recognition, except if a mistake is made.
"Something like that doesn't bother me - it's actually better that way," Andrew Schmitt said. "You really don't want to know the long snapper's name, because then he messed up and had a bad snap. That's the only reason they ever get announced on TV or anything like that. I just try to be a quiet leader and just do my job without anyone knowing."
With that mindset, Andrew Schmitt is one of leaders of a Terrapin team hoping to lay claim to the ACC Championship.
"The goals for this year are no bad snaps, a successful season and an ACC championship," he said.
And with the help of Andrew Schmitt doing the little things that matter, the Terps might be on their way.
