Regardless of position, rookies have adjustments to make from college to the NFL. Long snappers are no exception. Sure, it’s not like a quarterback transitioning from the spread offense to a pro-style system, but there are still new things to learn.
“There’s a little less room for error,” said long snapper Colin Holba, whom the Steelers surprisingly took in the sixth round. “But mostly just the blocking.”
In college, shield punts — sometimes called spread punts — are more commonplace, Holba said. With three players typically positioned between the line of scrimmage and the punter, most of the blocking responsibility shifts away from the snapper.