It may be one of football’s least glamorous positions, but 2010 Granite Hills High School alumnus Joe Cardona has two NFL Super Bowl championship rings as the New England Patriots long snapper.
A long snapper does exactly what it implies, snapping the ball from center over a long distance. It is a special teams position.
During field goal and point-after-touchdown conversions, the long snapper delivers the ball to the holder, who is typically seven to eight yards behind the line of scrimmage from the center.
During punts, the snap goes to the punter, who is typically 13 to 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
There’s more to just snapping the ball, however.
Following a snap on a punt, the long snapper often executes a blocking assignment and then must cover the kick by running downfield and attempting to stop the opposing team’s punt returner from advancing the ball in the opposite direction.
If the punt is not caught, it is the snapper’s responsibility to make sure the ball does not enter the end zone or bounce backward resulting in loss of yards. The majority of snappers at the highest levels of competition are specialized, meaning that they uniquely play the position of snapper, or have limited responsibilities elsewhere.
Cardona has excelled in this specialty role.
A fifth-round pick (166th overall) in the 2015 NFL Draft out of the U.S. Naval Academy, the former Granite Hills football and lacrosse standout (conference MVP as a senior) was a four-year starter at Navy as a long snapper. During his four years with the Midshipmen, Navy compiled a 30-21 record, including three bowl game appearances.
On an impressive note, Cardona was not charged with a bad snap during his time at Navy.
Pro scouts noticed. He ranks as only the fourth player designated as a long snapper ever to be drafted and the second highest-drafted long snapper in NFL history.
He made a celebrated homecoming at the 2014 Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium against San Diego State University. Cardona and the Midshipmen came out with a heart-pounding 17-16 victory over the Aztecs.
“I couldn’t ask for more,” Cardona said after the game. “My final collegiate game … to come back to Qualcomm and get a win in front of my family, my friends, against the hometown team, is awesome. I couldn’t ask for more than that.”
He said he and the five other San Diego area players on the Midshipmen shared a special camaraderie on the team.
“A ton of instant friendships,” he said.
Cardona won Super Bowl titles in 2017 over the Atlanta Falcons and in 2019 over the Los Angeles Rams.
After being drafted by the Patriots, Cardona’s naval assignment was delayed until after the 2015 season. He made his NFL debut in a 28-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Cardona’s request to play in the 2016 NFL season was approved by United States Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and that season was capped by a memorable 34-28 overtime win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Cardona participated in seven special teams plays in the game.
Cardona earned two playoff wins with the Patriots to advance to Super Bowl LII in 2018 but the reigning Super Bowl champions were unable to repeat in a 41-33 loss to the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Cardona, an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve who holds the rank of lieutenant, signed a four-year contract extension with the Patriots in June 2018. It proved beneficial for both parties as the Patriots bounced back to win the Super Bowl LIII, 13-3, over the Rams.
New England improved to 2-1 in the current 2020-21 season after dealing the visiting Las Vegas Raiders a 36-20 defeat on Sunday to record their second consecutive win of the new season.
Cardona and his teammates have much to look forward to in buoying the hopes of fans during the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Super Bowl LV is scheduled Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla.
