Shimko Selected to All-American Roster

By Ryan Sy

Pictured Above: Shimko at Rubio long snapping camp presented by Adidas. Photo Credits: rubiolongsnapping.com

    A Wall High School football player has been named to the All-American roster.
    Crimson Knights’ senior long snapper Joe Shimko signed a letter of intent with the University of North Carolina State. The All-American roster is a highly elite group of high school football players who are considered the best of their respective positions.
    “Being on the All-American roster is amazing,” Shimko said. “Just knowing that I’m a part of the best 100 players in the country is a dream come true. I was putting in many hours every day in the weight room to gain the weight I needed to gain to get interest from colleges and, after lifting and practicing, I would still snap at home. I snapped 375 balls every day just to get my muscle memory and then after that I took off and got to where I am today.”
    The long snapper snaps the football either to the punter or the kicker depending on the the situation. Usually within the 20-yard line on the opponent's side of the football field, the team with the ball will attempt a field goal. A long snapper snaps the ball to the place holder so he can hold it for the kicker to attempt to kick it through the field goal post.
    Another common situation is the offense has reached 4th down which is the last down to get past the necessary yards to gain a 1st down. If failed, then the opponent will get the ball where the offense left off. Most teams will punt in that situation, depending on field  position and yards to gain. The long snapper will snap the ball to the punter, who is about 10-15 yards away from the line of scrimmage. The snap is crucial so that the punter is able to secure it and kick down field without being rushed or worrying about a bad snap.
    This position is not the most well known, but is still important. It is also very difficult, especially with pressure on the line in certain game situations.
    “It means a lot to have someone like Joe teaching me the the techniques of snapping and he motivates me to try to be like him,” said Wall sophomore Ryan Legere, the second-string long snapper for the Knights, who will look to fill into the role of long snapper next season. “He has taught me almost everything I know about snapping up to this point.”
    Being named to the All-American team is an amazing achievement for Shimko and the Wall football program to be recognized for his outstanding play on the football field. It also shines the light on football coaching and player development for producing another top-tier player who is looking to play on Sundays in the NFL after college.

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