Ah, the Commodores have finally found the missing piece to building a championship team:
A longsnapper. Yes, a longsnapper.
It's the second straight year the Dores have added a player to its recruiting class after the start of spring practice.
Last year, in the grand Commodore tradition of sacrificing a returning starter to the gridiron gods early in spring practice, wide receiver Justin Wheeler blew out his knee and a late scholarship was given to Collin Ashley, who played as a true freshman but has now transferred to Arkansas as a walk-on.
This year, probably because the Commodores had an extra scholarship after the death of Rajaan Bennett, Vandy has signed Andrew East, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds from Indianapolis. He's listed as an inside linebacker by rivals.com, which didn't rate him.
Scout.com gives him one star, which means they also didn't rate him, but lists him as a longsnapper.
And not just any longsnapper. Scout.com's Vandy writer quotes a nationally recognized snapping coach (yes, they apparently have such things) as saying that East is a "five-star longsnapper." If they actually gave five stars to longsnappers.
A five-star longsnapper. Wow.
If you're doubting me, just look at his photo. The kid is wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a longsnapper. Only serious longsnappers wear longsnapper T-shirts.
Hey Florida Gator fans, you can keep your five-star quarterbacks and wide receivers and linebackers. We've got a FIVE-STAR LONGSNAPPER. And apparently we're the only school in the SEC and perhaps America enlightened enough to dedicate a full scholarship to a guy whose talent lies exclusively in snapping the ball between his legs to a guy who's going to kick it.
Currently, walk-on David Giller handles the longsnapping duties with John Stokes backing him up. Bob Davies likes to talk about how slow our longsnapping is. Maybe that's why we've actually given a scholarship to one.
Hey, if nobody emerges from spring practice as a clear-cut starting quarterback, maybe "Andy East: Five Star Longsnapper" can just line up backwards in the shotgun, catch the snap from our center between his legs and then just zip the ball down the field to one of our wide receivers.
8 comments:
As they say on NFL Live: "you must be sound in the kicking game!"
Yeah, but I've never heard of an SEC school offering a scholarship to a prep longsnapper. I know Auburn likes to give scholarships to walk-on snappers AFTER they've proven themselves for a couple of years.
watch his video..he will probably play sam linebacker or defensive end also to provide depth
I knew he played linebacker but was better known as a longsnapper. Think he'll redshirt? If he's gonna play defensive end he'll obviously need to put on some weight. Right now he's the exact same size as Walker May was last year.
Go Goro
http://www.loyolaphoenix.com/2.3229/grapes-of-raf-1.332940
Hey, this is the age of niche marketing, and this young man's just parlayed it into a Vanderbilt scholarship worth upwards of $40K (maybe closer to $50K) a year.
I've got my kids in the backyard right now practicing their longsnapping.
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