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Tusker Camp Report: Training Camp's Invisible Man

August 26, 2010 - United Football League (UFL 1)
Florida Tuskers News Release


ORLANDO, FL - THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010- The following lesson is for all those young reporters out there who are looking for interviewing tips. When going to interview a player-especially the long snapper who already feels like an unknown-make sure you have his first name correct when you first approach him.

That's what happened when I interviewed with Florida Tuskers long snapper Ryan Senser for this story. A "cut and paste" operation malfunctioned and Ryan's first name appeared as "Jeremy" on Tuesday's camp roster.

Perhaps it showed just a glimpse of his character when he shrugged off the incident and continued on with the interview in stride. "No big deal, we're pretty anonymous anyways," Senser said with a laugh.

The long snapper specialist is a relatively new position. Previously the center or anyone else on the team who could snap would be recruited to perform the duties on field goals, punts and extra points.

It later developed into a specialist position, where colleges and pro teams would actually seek out athletes to perform the job. It's a position that never receives any recognition, until there's a problem. As a player, a long snapper has only one source of feedback and that is if the head coach never notices his existence then he must be doing a fantastic job.

The Ohio University product decided to become a long-snapper after tearing both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament tear at St. Francis DeSales High School in his senior year while playing tight end.

During his recovery time he picked up long snapping in hopes that he could use a new skill to help him get into college. Senser got so good that he was invited to become a preferred walk-on at Arizona State University.

During his first season he tore up his knee again and had surgery. He then transferred to Ohio University, where he played three seasons after sitting out his transfer year.

"I'm not really one of those guys who got any kind of training on long snapping," said Senser. "It's just sort of something I picked up and worked on by myself as a way to help me get into college. When I first arrived at Ohio, I was still trying to play tight end. At long snapper, the guy I was competing with left the team I became the long snapper full time."

After he spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, Senser was with the Tuskers in 2009, but a pulled calf muscle kept him sidelined while Matt Overton took over as the long snapper.

This season he is back with no injuries to speak of and joins a special teams unit that has all new players including punter/holder Aaron Horne and place kicker Carlos Martinez.

"We have a brand new group of guys in here and right now we're just all getting used to working with each other trying to get the kinks out as far as that is concerned," he said. "We feel we're moving along well as a unit and we'll have a good year."

To achieve their goals, the special teams have been working with coach Al Roberts during two sessions per day in training camp. For Senser, it is all about improving and refining his technique to avoid mistakes when the bright lights turn on in September.

"It's actually really good for me having coach Roberts and [special teams assistant] Jim Lanford out there working with me to help improve my technique, since I've never really had any help before." Senser said. "It's always good to have another set of eyes on what you are doing."

The Central Florida heat has been a big topic in Tuskers camp since it opened last week with temperatures climbing into triple digits. While the team has enjoyed a break this week with rain threatening the last few days of practice, the northern based Senser has made an adjustment to the humid conditions.

"It's really humid out there, something I never had to experience up north," he said. "We have our days where it is, but it's nothing like this where you start sweating as soon as you walk outside. So for me it's just a matter of keeping a towel around to keep my hands dry."

With small camp rosters, the Tuskers could not afford to use more than one spot for a long snapper, which essentially means the job is Senser's as long as he doesn't mess up. Like baseball umpires, you never notice a long snapper unless he makes a mistake. Put another way, Senser's job is to do the job and stay invisible.

For Senser, it's a never ending battle trying to go un-noticed by the Tuskers coaching staff. Hopefully all of his tweaks will keep him a ghost on the field this season and at the end of the year when head coach Jay Gruden is asked of Senser's play he will respond...

"WHO!?"

FLORIDA TUSKERS THURSDAY CAMP NOTES: The Tuskers made several additional roster moves on Thursday...CB FAHKIR BROWN reported to camp and practiced for the first time...Head Coach Jay Gruden felt Brown was the team's best cover corner last season and his arrival bolsters and already strong position for the Tuskers...wide receivers HUEY WHITAKER and RYAN ROBINSON were also added to the roster...Whitaker spent time in NFL training camps with Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and the New York Jets...Playing the last two full seasons in the Arena Football League, Whitaker has caught 270 passes for 3,200 yards and 69 touchdowns...He won an ArenaBowl championship this past season with Spokane, catching 144 passes for 1,653 yards and 37 touchdowns in 16 games...Robinson spent time in camp with the Carolina Panthers...As a senior at Miami (OH) in 2006, Robinson finished third in the nation in receptions with 91 for 1,178 yards and 8 touchdowns...Florida released OL JASON MURPHY (Virginia Tech)...The Tuskers will hold a Fan Day on Saturday, August 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Thunder Field, adjacent to the Florida Citrus Bowl....The event is free to the public and fans will have an opportunity to watch a live scrimmage (10:45 a.m.) and can participate in a "Meet and Greet" with the players afterwards...Central Florida Blood Centers and the Big Red Bus will be on hand with free tickets to the home opener to any fan who registers to donate at the event.



United Football League Stories from August 26, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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