Dreaming big
By Mike Ramczyk
Here’s an exercise.
Place a football on the ground. Spread your legs shoulder-width apart and bend over to grab the ball.
Now snap the football through your legs about 15 yards behind you. But it has to be a crisp, tight spiral that would hit a standing person in the stomach.
If you can successfully perform this unique skill, you are a long snapper. The player that catches your snap is the punter.
Waterford Union High School 2012 graduate Nick Wirsching has mastered the art of long snapping, and his rare skill set could soon pay off.
The National Football League Draft begins Thursday, April 28, and Wirsching, who grew up on Lake Tichigan, could quite possibly hear his name called among the 250 or so players announced in seven rounds.
If his name isn’t called, Wirsching could receive a phone call and be signed as a free agent.
The Green Bay Packers have already given Wirsching a workout, and seasoned Packers writer Bob McGinn profiled the former Wolverine and UW-Oshkosh Titan in a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article.
Wirsching’s lifelong dream of playing professional football, something as rare as winning the lottery, has a serious chance at reality next week.
Southern Lakes Newspapers Sports Editor Mike Ramczyk caught up with Nick via email recently to discuss football, Waterford and the future.
MR: This is exciting. Are you nervous?
NW: Yes it’s definitely exciting, but also very nerve-racking since being a long snapper, especially at the D3 level, isn’t always at the top of everyone’s priority.
MR: How were your football teams with the Wolverines, and how did you fare personally?
NW: We were usually a very good team (besides my Junior season being 3-8). Our freshman team was undefeated, my sophomore year I played JV as a center, long snapper, and place kicker, and I was a kicker for varsity.
My junior season I played the three positions, then senior year my brother, Jake, took over the long snapping duties so we could keep consistency on who was snapping for punts and field goals.
Of course, my senior year was the year we went to state. First team in Waterford history to do it. I had a tremendous year as a kicker, 66 PATs without a miss, 7-11 on FGs, and I’m sure a lot of people still remember that last-second game-winner against Homestead.
MR: Can you even believe this is all happening? A small-town kid from Wisconsin has a chance at NFL glory. Can it be overwhelming at times?
NW: It’s definitely exciting, but not overwhelming. Since I’ve started snapping, I’ve been perfecting my craft and trying to be the best I can be every day. I’ve done really well at all my combines, pro days, and private workouts, so I know I’ll be ready to show the work I’ve done if the opportunity presents itself.
But still, the reality is that there are 32 long-snapping jobs, and only one is open at the moment. If I get the opportunity to compete for one of those 32 jobs, I just need to go out and do what I’ve been training for and not let the idea of it being the NFL get to my head.
MR: Take us through your college football journey. How did you get to this point?
NW: Well, it was definitely unique. I had quite a bit of interest from schools to be a kicker, but nobody was willing to offer me a scholarship, and I still really thought I would end up being a better LS in the long run.
John Dinse at UW-Oshkosh was the only one to call me with interest of me playing LS for the Titans. During my visit I loved the coaches and knew Oshkosh would be the place to be.
I was fortunate enough to play all four years (without an injury or a bad snap), winning the conference championship twice and having some deep playoff runs during those seasons. I was part of the winningest class in school history, and we have really changed the culture at UWO for the better.
MR: Why long snapper? How did that originate?
NW: I had played center since I first put pads on, and my team needed a LS.
Coach Dave Fisher was my youth coach and told me I should learn since I was already comfortable being in the middle of the line. He taught me some of the things he noticed from the LS when he was playing at Platteville.
A few years later I began attending Kohl’s Kicking Camp and training with Kevin Garvoille. This is when I really refined my technique and began to learn the tools of what it takes to be great.
MR: What’s the Kohl’s Kicking Camp? How was that experience?
NW: Kohl’s Kicking Camps are camps hosted all over the country for kickers, punters, and long snappers from middle school all the way up to the pro level.
Jamie Kohl is the founder, he played at Catholic Memorial, Iowa State, and had a short stint with the Seahawks.
He started the camps because nobody else really offered camps for specialists. I’ve been training with them a few times a year since eighth grade. I also train with Coach Gary Zauner. He is from Milwaukee and was a longtime college and NFL special teams coordinator.
MR: When did the Green Bay Packers give you a workout? How did you feel when you received that phone call?
NW: It was on March 22. My agent had texted me the night before to expect a call from Eliot Wolf in the next few days. The next morning I got his call and we did the workout in Oshkosh that same day.
Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith took my measurements, put me through some different speed and agility tests and watched me snap for awhile.
It went great, I got some great feedback from them, so all in all, it was a great day and I really showed what I could do.
MR: At what point did you know you were good at long snapping, and it could turn into a pro football career?
NW: I always I knew I was pretty good since I did become a starter during my freshman season at Oshkosh (a great feat regardless of the D1 or D3 level), but I never really started thinking I could make it a profession until the summer after my freshman season.
I went to a Pro Development camp with Coach Zauner, and there were some of the better snappers from some of the top D1 schools. I was snapping pretty close to what they were.
I soon saw some of the guys I was training with get into some NFL camps. That’s when I decided I wanted to make it my goal to play in the league.
MR: At 6-foot, 225 pounds, do you feel you’re big enough to play on the offensive line surrounded by behemoth 300-pound monsters?
NW: I’m actually 6′ 1/2″, 245 lbs. I know I’m not the tallest guy out there, but I have a good build. I spend a lot of time in the weight room, as well as working on my footwork and agility so I know I’ll be able to hang with the bigger rushers coming at me.
MR: When did you fall in love with football? Were your parents or siblings athletes?
NW: I started playing in fourth grade, and it’s been a huge part of my life ever since. I love the sport and the balance it brings to my life. I love being able to compete on a daily basis.
My dad played football in high school, then went into the Marines. My mom was a cyclist for most of her teen years and was a three-time national champion.
My brother and sister are just a year younger than me. My brother has played football as long as I have and now plays defensive end and long snapper at Bemidji State in Minnesota. My sister was a soccer player at Waterford.
MR: The NFL Draft is next weekend in Chicago. Who do you plan on watching the draft with, and will you be disappointed if you’re not drafted?
NW: I’ll be in Waterford with my family and my girlfriend.
I probably won’t be glued to the TV watching the Draft.
I’ll check in on it from time to time, but long snappers don’t generally get drafted. I’m not getting my hopes up for that.
I’m just hoping to receive a call within a day or two following the draft and either sign a contract or get invited to mini camp. I’ve put in the work, and have done well at all of my combines, pro days, and private workouts, so I’m just hoping to get a call and get a look at the next level.
I’m confident that I am one of the top in my draft class, but like I said, there’s only 32 teams and only one job is open right now. I just want to get a look to prove I am an NFL-caliber player.
Meet Nick Wirsching
Football is: where I am most comfortable.
I can play professional football because: I am always working. I’ve never been complacent, and I always want to be better.
Love is: when one is entirely sure of themselves and what they are doing in life.
Favorite movie: Rocky 4
Pre-game food ritual? I don’t really have one. I’m not very superstitious about that kind of thing.
Dream job in 10 years: Hopefully being a long snapper in the NFL. If not, maybe owning a few businesses.
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