by Brian Abate, Chris DiGeronimo, and Gianluca Milea
“The hero is commonly the simplest and obscurest of men” - Henry David Thoreau
When it comes to football, all fans show love and appreciation to their favorite team’s quarterback. The lineman that protect him often go unnoticed when they are at their best. The same thing occurs in the kicking game. All New York Giants fans remember Lawrence Tynes kicking the Giants into the Super Bowl in 2008 and 2012. It’s often forgotten that the most important kicks in the team’s history could not have been made without Zak DeOssie, New York’s pro bowl long snapper. Long snappers tend to fly under the radar unless they make a mistake, so the best ones in football are often not well known. On this edition of Scrambling we catch up with Damon Johnson, USC’s All-Pac 12 first team, senior long snapper.
Q: How did you get into long snapping? Was it something you always had your eyes set on or was it something you grew to love?
A: Yeah so I got into long snapping because my team needed someone to fill the spot and I thought I could help the team out so I started long snapping that year and ended up doing it every year since. I didn’t grow up knowing that long snapping was going to be my thing but I grew to enjoy the position as I got older.
Q: You’re now pursuing a Masters degree at USC in Communication Management. Is your goal to play football at the next level or do you see yourself perhaps pursuing a different career path?
A: My goal, just like every college athlete, is to play in the NFL. So I am working my hardest to achieve that goal but while doing that I am pursuing my Masters so that when I am done playing in the league I can fall back on that Masters degree as a way to help me in work and life after football.
Q: How important is the relationship between you and the punter/holder? Who has been your favorite to work with and how were you able to build chemistry with them?
A: I get along with all the specialists because we are so close together and we all need each other to be successful as a unit. But with the punter, Ben Griffths, we have a really close relationship because we work so close together and he’s one of the hardest workers I have ever met so it’s good to be surrounded by him. He’s also the holder so that helps build our chemistry also.
Q: Last season you were a 2019 Phil Steele All-American honorable mention and made All-Pac 12 first team. What do those two awards mean to you, and how does it motivate you going into your senior year?
A: Those two awards really meant a lot to me because with long snapping we don’t get a ton of recognition so it’s awesome to get that. It motivates me a lot to know that my hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed and it makes me hungry for more.
Q: Did you have any favorite players or players you wanted to model your game after?
A: I don’t really have a player I model my game after but I am a huge fan of Russell Wilson and JJ Watt just because of their dedication to their craft and what they do off the field.
Q: You’ve played in a lot of exciting, memorable football games. So far, what has been your favorite game and why?
A: One of my favorite games purely off the result was the Pac-12 championship game when we won. That was a fun game and is a game I will never forget. When it comes to atmospheres, either playing the Longhorns in Austin or playing Notre Dame in South Bend. Those were two of the most electric and awesome atmospheres to be a part of.
Q: What advice would you give to a high school player who might want to pursue long snapping at the next level?
A: Advice that I would give to a high school player is 1. Have fun because man it goes by fast and there is NOTHING like high school football. 2. Take advantage of all opportunities when it comes to recruiting because you never know what will come of it. Don’t just go for the big Division 1 schools. Try and go after smaller schools and start building your name and your resume and then go after the bigger programs. 3. Be patient because recruiting is wild and crazy, just be patient and let the colleges work in your favor because at the end of the day they are recruiting YOU, you are not recruiting them.
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