The Patrick Mannelly Award

About The Award

We live in the age of the superstar. The big gun. The first pick. The franchise player. But the more we come to understand the game of football, the more we learn to revere the guy who sets every field goal, extra point and punt in motion – including nail-biting field goals that make or break games, seasons and sometimes even careers. It’s time to show some love for the Long Snapper.

 

Long Snappers don’t make the cover of the program. They’re rarely asked to sign autographs. You don’t typically see them being interviewed before the game. But Long Snappers aren’t driven by these things. Quiet, selfless, focused and courageous, the Long Snapper is content to trade conventional superstardom for the opportunity to do one job very well. 

 

The spirit of the Long Snapper lives, not just on the football field, but out in the real world as well. The nurse who hands the right instrument to the surgeon is a Long Snapper. The legal professional who works late into the night doing the research that uncovers the precedent that wins the case is a Long Snapper. Anyone who toils in quiet dedication to the greater good is a Long Snapper. No matter what you do, when you do it with excellence in the face of great pressure, you are a Long Snapper. 

 

The Patrick Mannelly Award presented by Zebra Technologies is a new vehicle through which football’s unsung workhorses can finally bask in the warm glow of appreciation. Now we celebrate the best Long Snappers in college football. And in doing so, we honor the Long Snapper in all of us.

The Patrick Mannelly Award

  The Dinner

The 5th Annual Patrick Mannelly Award dinner will take place on Saturday, December 9, 2023 at Bernie’s Book Bank.  Tickets to attend are $175, benefitting Bernie’s Book Bank, and are available using the link below.

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The event will begin at 6 pm.  Guests will enjoy dinner, a panel conversation led by David Kaplan and the winner of the 2023 Patrick Mannelly Award will be announced!  The event will also be streamed live on the Patrick Mannelly Award Facebook page and on the Bernie’s Book Bank YouTube channel.

Guests will enjoy dinner, drinks and a lively discussion with ESPN Chicago’s David Kaplan featuring Chicago Bears’ Brian Urlacher.  We hope you will join us in person on Saturday, December 9 at Bernie’s Book Bank. 

Benefitting 

The Patrick Mannelly Award, presented by Zebra Technologies, benefits Bernie’s Book Bank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating pathways to success through children’s book ownership. Bernie’s Book Bank achieves this mission by providing 8 free books annually to empower children to explore new ideas, gain knowledge and strengthen reading skills. Since 2009, Bernie’s Book Bank has distributed more than 24 MILLION books to children ages birth through sixth grade; this year alone they will provide 2.4 MILLION books to local children.  

Bernie’s Book Bank is the long snapper of literacy – no child can learn to read without books. The work of Bernie’s Book Bank may be behind the scenes, yet they are an integral player in the literacy equation. For more information about Bernie’s Book Bank, visit berniesbookbank.org.

2023 Timeline

November 27, 2023 – Finalist announced 

November 17, 2023- Semifinalist announced

August 1, 2023 – Watchlist goes out  

Voting 

The Patrick Mannelly Long Snapper Award is determined by a committee comprised of former NFL Long Snappers, punters and kickers, special team coaches, as well as snapping instructors, NFL player agents and sportswriters. 

The CriteriA 

The Award is presented to the overall best Long Snapper at the Division I FBS level. The winner must have started 75% of games in his senior year, snap on punts and placements, and demonstrate a strong mentality, notable athleticism, as well as speed, accuracy and consistency in their snaps. 

Selection Committee

Patrick Mannelly, Founder

 Chris Rubio, Founder

 Kevin Gold, Founder

 Lonnie Paxton, Former NFL LS

 Tom Lemming, Recruiting Writer

Garrett Mehal, Pro Football Focus

 Robbie Gould, NFL Kicker

 Brad Maynard, Former NFL P

  Rob Davis, Former NFL LS

  Justin Snow, Former NFL LS

 Randy Chevrier, Former NFL/CFL LS

Clint Gresham, Former NFL LS

Rick Gosselin, NFL Writer

  Tom Osborne, NCAA ST Coach

 Phil Steele, NCAA Writer

 Dave Wannstedt, Former NFL Head Coach

Casey Casper, Former NHL LS

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Pro Football Focus