Tag: damon johnson

Notre Dame’s Michael Vinson makes Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List

Yes, even long snappers get honored in college football.

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There might not be a position in football that gets as little recognition as long snapper. After all, they don’t do much more than hike the football a longer distance than a center and also block when necessary. Fortunately, college football has the wits about it to recognize the best at every position, including long snapper. Notre Dame’s Michael Vinson can attest to that after being named to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List, which lists players who could win the award that goes to the best long snapper in college football annually.

Vinson is coming off a season in which he was the Irish’s first choice for long snapper every game. In 2021, he will face off with a few of his fellow preseason nominees. Barring injury, they will be Sean Mills of Toledo, Oscar Shadley of Virginia Tech, Damon Johnson of USC and Kyle Petrucci of Stanford. If long snappers are your thing, pay particularly close attention to that position in those games.

USC long snapper Damon Johnson named preseason All-American

Damon Johnson is entering his fourth season at USC, and has a chance to be an All-American during the 2020 season.

USC long snapper Damon Johnson was among the nine Trojans selected by Phil Steele to be All-PAC-12 first teamers in 2020.

However, Steele predicted even more for Johnson, naming him a preseason First-Team All-American.

There’s definitely a precedent for Johnson’s success as he enters his fourth and final season wearing the crimson and gold.

Johnson was named an All-American honorable mention and All-PAC-12 first teamer last year, also by Phil Steele.

Johnson originally came to USC in 2017 after spending one year at Citrus Junior College in Glendora, California – where he did not play football.

He started for the Trojans right away in 2017, and has been the team’s consistent long snapper ever since.

While long snappers almost never get selected in the NFL draft, Johnson will almost certainly get picked up as an undrafted free agent if he fulfills Steele’s prediction this year and earns an All-American nod.

Even another PAC-12 first team will likely be enough for NFL team’s to take notice, although teams rarely carry a backup – so he will have to prove he is among the 32 best long snappers in the game if he wants to have a career in the NFL.

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