May 31, 2002 3 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) – It’s a position that few NFL fans think about – at least until there’s a big breakdown that can cost a game or, maybe, even a season. That’s why, with an eye on the salary cap and another on an AFC championship game tape that revealed blocking and tackling breakdowns on special teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers might make Bobby Jones their new long snapper.

Jones wasn’t drafted out of Penn State, but was in high demand after his snaps were timed in the .67 to .7-second range, putting him on a par with the NFL’s best.

Among that class is current Steelers long snapper Mike Schneck, who is considered the best in the league by punter Josh Miller. But Schneck doesn’t play another position, and his relatively slight build (246 pounds) has been the cause of line mismatches on special teams.

Schneck, as a four-year veteran, would also cost the Steelers an additional $175,000 against the salary cap compared to Jones.

“People say I am cheaper and I play another position as well, which helps,” Jones said. “But it’s like anything else. Whoever can do the job the best is going to get the job, so I can never let up even though I’m bigger than he is and can play another position. That doesn’t matter. What matters is whether I can snap better than he can.”

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Jones was a three-year starter on the Penn State defensive line, but isn’t regarded as much of an NFL line prospect. He did make 104 career tackles and won the team’s Ridge Riley Award for “sportsmanship, scholarship, leadership and friendship,” but wasn’t invited to the draft combine. He also wasn’t ranked among the top 50 defensive ends.

As a result, Jones’ only chance is to make the team as a long snapper.

“He’s doing well, but he’s got a little bit of a hitch,” Steelers special teams coach Kevin Spencer said. “He kind of cocks his hips, so we’re working on some of the mechanical things to eliminate that, but I think he’s got a chance.

“He was a starter so he is an athlete. He obviously has snapping skills, but we’ll see when we put him out there against the Jets with eight in the box and a speedster on each side. Then we’ll see if he can execute.”

Jones became Penn State’s long snapper as a junior, and made a few mistakes early, but was nearly perfect as a senior.

“Maybe a few were a little high or at the knees, but they were all pretty much on the mark,” Jones said.

“I snapped all through junior high and high school. My dad told me when I was a little kid to snap and I stuck with it and it became natural to me.”

Jones’ family is from Erie, but moved to Wadsworth, Ohio, where he was born. In high school, Jones made the Big 33 team and became the first heavyweight wrestler in Ohio in 30 years to win two consecutive state titles. He continued his wrestling career at Penn State.

It helped the Steelers that Jones’ roommate at Penn State, linebacker Justin Kurpeikis, now plays for the Steelers. Jones once was Kurpeikis’ backup at defensive end and Kurpeikis once was Jones’ backup at long-snapper.

Kurpeikis still works on his long-snapping skills, which he believes have greatly improved over the past year.

“But Bob’s still much better than I am. He’s very good,” Kurpeikis said.

The Steelers begin their annual minicamp next week. Most players have been taking part in workouts with the coaches this week.