Jacob Dunne | May 27th, 2020
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Denver Broncos long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer. The Broncos signed Bobenmeyer over the offseason to replace former starting long snapper Casey Kreiter. He was a four-year starter at the University of Northern Colorado playing both long snapper and linebacker.
In this interview, Bobenmeyer describes his journey to the NFL, how he became a long snapper, and the finer points of the position. As you read through the questions and answers, you get to see the incredible passion he has for the game of football. The hard work he’s doing to make his dream a reality is evident too. I had a blast conducting this interview and I hope all of Broncos Country enjoys getting to learn more about their new long snapper.
Dunne: You played on both sides of the football in high school. You earned 2014 All-State honors as a linebacker and All-Conference honors as a tight end. What position did you want to play heading into college?
Bobenmoyer: Linebacker for sure. I played tight end just to help the offense out. I never caught a pass. I was just a blocking tight end. I enjoyed playing tight end because of the physicality, but I saw myself as a linebacker through and through.
Dunne: You played in the East-West Shrine game following your senior year at the University of Nothern Colorado. Considering you played multiple positions in college including linebacker, EDGE, special teams, and long snapper; What position did they want you to play?
Bobenmoyer: Long snapper for sure. I knew I wasn’t being sought after enough to play linebacker at the next level. Long snapping-wise, I knew I had a chance. At the East-West Shrine game, it was the first time being declared a “specialist”. It was weird sitting back while the coaches yelled for the kickoff return team, kickoff team, and the defense to take the field because I played all of those in college. I could only get excited about punts. Initially, it gave my anxiety not taking the field all the time, but eventually I sat back and thought, “NOPE, now I don’t have to!” It was nice in that aspect, but I was used to being in the game a lot more.
Dunne: How did they notice you amongst all the long snappers in the country?
Bobenmoyer: The director of the East-West Shrine game called and invited me after I was named me to the Phil Steele’s All-American Team for long snapping. They originally invited me via email along with all the other players in the country, but they sent it to the wrong email address. Since they thought I was ignoring them, they instead invited a long snapper from the University of Central Florida. He wound up tearing his ACL, so the director called to invite me. If I had gotten the initial invitation, I would have accepted it on the spot. I knew going to a post-season bowl game was how I’d get more exposure to NFL teams.
Dunne: How did you get into long snapping?
Bobenmoyer: It all started when I broke my foot in high school and had to be in a boot for six weeks. I obviously couldn’t do the workouts during fall camp, so I would just go do the long snapping drills. Even though I couldn’t play in the first three games, I still went out there and did pre-game warmup snaps. During my freshman year of college, I told one of my buddies I could snap better than UNC’s starter, so he stood up in the middle of our special teams meeting and said: “Hey, Jacob Bobenmoyer can snap!” Next practice, the coaching staff had me snap the ball and after about 10 snaps, they named me the starting long snapper.
Dunne: When did you fully commit to long snapping?
Bobenmoyer: The summer going into my senior year, I took the time I would have spent working out as a linebacker and worked on my long snapping. I knew if I wanted to make it to the NFL; I needed to come out every day and work on my long snapping and blocking.
Dunne: When did you know your skills as a long snapper could translate to the NFL?
Bobenmoyer: My college special teams coach told me I fit the build and I snap a fast ball, so he advised me to seek extra help to develop my game. I contacted Coach Stelter at Special Teams U. I told Coach Stelter my goal of snapping in the NFL. He thought I was crazy because before I signed with him; I put no time or effort into snapping, but he helped me develop.
Dunne: Former Bronco long snapper Casey Kreiter left big shoes to fill after making the Pro Bowl last season. How do you feel about potentially taking his place on the roster?
Bobenmoyer: Growing up in Wyoming, I became a Broncos fan. The chance to be a Denver Bronco is a big deal to me. I think I can live up to those expectations and I’m looking forward to it.
Dunne: What does your offseason training program look like? Take us through your normal workout routine.
Bobenmoyer: I follow the workout regimen that Loren Landow sent us for the virtual offseason. I’ve been working out with Colby Wadman even though he’s no longer on the Broncos. After morning meetings, we go to the field to warm up by snapping around 50-60 balls. After that, we run and do agility work. Since I have a full weight room in my garage, we go back to my place after our workouts and lift. We always finish with biceps and triceps because having good-looking arms is the most important thing.
Dunne: There’s a lot of pressure being a long snapper. You don’t get noticed until the ball sails over the head of the punter. How do you deal with that pressure?
Bobenmoyer: By taking everything I worked on in the offseason and focusing on the task at hand. My goal is to put the ball in the punter’s hip or in the zone where the punter can get it so he can get the ball off quickly. Next, I have to block. I need to be aggressive. I need to be the hammer, not the nail. Pressure-wise, I’d say I’m comfortable. I’ve snapped over 10,000 balls, so it’s not necessarily anything different.
Dunne: Given your particular set of skills, if there were several injuries at a particular position, and you had to go into the game, what position besides long snapper would best suit you?
Bobenmoyer: Linebacker, fullback, or special teams. If worse comes to worst, I have no problem playing special teams if one of those guys goes down.
Dunne: I wasn’t expecting you to say fullback, but I see how that could translate as long as you know your assignment.
Bobenmoyer: I was a tight end/fullback hybrid in high school. I enjoy blocking people. There’s nothing better than imposing your will on somebody and having them do what you want them to do. You get to do things on the football field that would be illegal in real life. In real life, you’d get arrested for running up to someone and imposing your will on them, but you get paid to do it in football.
Dunne: I read that NFL Scouts look for long snappers who can snap in .60 seconds. Can you explain how that works?
Bobenmoyer: .60 is REALLY fast. I’d say the NFL standard is .75. There are only two people in the NFL that can snap .60 seconds and one of them is Don Muhlbach. That dude rips it. It also depends on where a team snaps it. Some snap at 14 yards, others snap at 13 1/2 yards, and some snap at 15. That affects the snap speed. At 15 yards, scouts look for .75, and I try to keep my numbers under that.
Dunne: Have you ever had your snaps timed?
Bobenmoyer: Oh yeah. They timed and charted my snaps at my Pro Day, rookie minicamp, and veteran minicamp.
Dunne: What’s the fastest you’ve ever snapped?
Bobenmoyer: The fastest time I’ve ever snapped at 15 yards was .60, but that’s not a time I can repeat consistently. To keep my technique, I don’t snap as hard. You need to find that perfect medium. If I try to snap it as hard as I can, it’ll go high. My best snap is when I’m snapping at 80-85%. Even at 85%, I’m averaging .66-.68 at 14 yards.
Dunne: I noticed on your Instagram that you like to fish and hunt. Do you have a go-to spot?
Bobenmoyer: For hunting, I always go up to Wyoming. For fishing, I go anywhere that has bass. I have over $3,000 worth of fishing equipment, so I take it seriously. I haven’t found a go-to spot because I’ve been busy over the past few summers, but I like Horsetooth Reservoir.
Dunne: Do you have any crazy stories while fishing?
Bobenmoyer: I once caught a 25-inch largemouth bass while being yelled at by my mom on the phone. I guess being yelled at by my mom brought me good luck.
Dunne: Last question: What would you like to do after your NFL career is over?
Bobenmoyer: I hope that I have invested my money enough to where I don’t have to work again. In that case, I would want to go back to school and get my veterinarian degree so I can open up an animal sanctuary and a hospice center for old dogs, cats, and farm animals. To go along with that, I would want to give at-risk youth job opportunities and teach them about the ways of working, responsibility, and life values.
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Main Image Credit:
https://uncbears.com/sports/football/roster/jacob-bobenmoyer/4279
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