As a long snapper, Michael Murphy realizes he’s got a thankless — yet vital — job.
“The only time people hear my name is when I make a big mistake,” said Murphy, a 2010 San Benito graduate who is set to start his 54th consecutive game for two-time defending FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) national champion North Dakota State on Saturday, tops on the team. “Being a long snapper is like being a NAVY Seal — you don’t want anyone to know who you are.”
Fortunately for the Bison (9-0), Murphy is well known around the program for all the right reasons. On the field, the 6-foot, 240-pound senior delivers snaps to his punter and place-kick holders with impeccable velocity and precision.
Mistakes are few and far between. Off the field, Murphy volunteers his time helping out disenfranchised children, giving them hope and encouraging them to work hard to live their dreams — just like he has.
“Coming to North Dakota State, it’s been like a dream,” he said.
But not even Murphy could’ve imagined things would’ve turned out the way they did. To wit: The Bison were the talk of college football in the opening week of the season when they stunned host Kansas State, 24-21, before 53,351 — the second largest ever to see a game at K-State.
“We had been preparing for that game since March,” Murphy said. “To beat a team that won the Big 12 championship last year let us know we can play with the best.”
And it was no fluke. In the last three years, North Dakota State has beaten Colorado State from the Mountain West Conference, Minnesota from the Big 10 and Kansas from the Big 12.
The 6-3 win over Kansas, in fact, came in the very first game of Murphy’s freshman season. So imagine Murphy — who only three months earlier had graduated high school — was now playing in front of 50,000. And don’t think for a second Murphy wasn’t vital to the team’s victory, as he placed two perfect snaps that led to the two field goals.
“It was pretty crazy,” Murphy said. “Here I was, coming from a small town like Hollister, and now I’m going into a big-time college environment. But playing for all of our fans in Hollister helped me get ready to play college football.”
Murphy treats long snapping as an art form, consistently grading himself after games. Longtime Bison coach Craig Bohl actually works out and grades the punters and kickers, so Murphy will know immediately if he’s made a mistake.
“Sometimes coach will tell me a snap was a little high or a little low,” Murphy said. “They might even say I’m having a bad day, but it’s more of a personal grading system because I know I can get the job done. I’ve done it for so many years and so many games and so many practices that when I do miss, it’s not by much.”
In an interview with Fargo-based Wday.com, Bohl succinctly summed up a long snapper’s job best: “Snappers are like the fire department, nobody knows about them until there’s an emergency, something bad happened.”
Murphy’s ideal snap means getting the ball to his punter’s hips — that’s the sweet spot but anything from the lower chest to knees is considered adequate. Every time the special teams units trot onto the field, Murphy goes through a mental checklist.
Keep the hips low. Finish through. Keep the ball inside.
When Murphy played for the Haybalers, everyone knew him as the stud linebacker who tackled opponents all over the field. Few recognized his talents as a long snapper. However, every college program needs a capable long snapper, and a former assistant coach at North Dakota State recognized Murphy’s skill set immediately.
“They told me they liked the fact I could run down the field after the snap and tackle people,” said Murphy, who was recruited specifically to be the Bison’s long snapper. “I could get the ball back to the punter fast, and I didn’t miss very much.”
And he hasn’t missed much since arriving in Fargo, proving to be a steadying presence from the moment he arrived on campus.
