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 My Site News: Cactus Shadows junior seeks career as long snapper |
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Saturday, March 24
Cactus Shadows junior seeks career as long snapper
...One of the players i worked with on the OL in Phoenix... he deserves the publicity for the effort and time he's put in.
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Cactus Shadows junior seeks career as long snapper
Working with ex-UA kicker, playing semi-pro part of plan
Jim Richards
Special for The Republic
Mar. 24, 2007 12:00 AM
CAVE CREEK - If Cactus Shadows High School junior Ed Feiler is ever offered a college football scholarship, it will be because of his hard work, his dad and the generous amount of time and effort provided by a former NFL player who wanted to give something back to the game.
Three times a week, Feiler, 17, practices with Max Zendejas, the former NFL and University of Arizona place-kicker. Feiler isn't a kicker, but as a long snapper (the specialized center who snaps the ball on field goals and punts), he is a kicker's best friend.
At one time, the long snapper probably was the most forgotten of all positions. Not anymore. advertisement
"The universities are looking for long snappers," said Zendejas, who scored 353 points during his career at Arizona (1982-85), which laid the groundwork for a 10-year NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. "As long as they're good and they work hard, they'll get a full ride just for snapping the ball. When I played, the kicking game wasn't all that big of a deal."
Feiler first met Zendejas while Zendejas' brother, Luis (who also played in the NFL after his record-setting career at Arizona State), was conducting a kicking clinic at an Arizona Cardinals camp. Luis is the team's director of community relations.
Feiler's father, Bill, had asked Max Zendejas whether he needed a long snapper hanging around. Max brought Ed along to help snap for Max's nephew, Alex Zendejas, a Glendale Ironwood senior who hopes to be Arizona's kicker next season.
Ed has become so dedicated to long snapping that he's the youngest player in the 11-team Copper Football League, a Valley semi-pro league that takes its football pretty seriously. He plays for the Phoenix Outlaws and snaps to former University of Cincinnati kicker Phil Insalaco.
Feiler hopes to catch the eye of college recruiters, while keeping sharp for next season with the Class 4A Division II state champion Falcons.
"At first, you're going up against guys who played (NCAA) Division I, and some guys who played pro," he said. "After a few practices, you realize they're just a little bigger than high school kids.
"I guess it's kind of like a pro atmosphere. The coach uses a little bit more negative language than they do in high school. They all call me 'Rookie.' I've never had that."
Jim Richards is a correspondent for the Scottsdale Republic, Scottsdale, Arizona.
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