The long-snapper: How to anonymously make $1 million in ...

The Bengals' Clark Harris is part of a 32-man fraternity as an NFL long-snapper. It's a great gig, but they're just a bad snap or two from ... 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Thelong-snapper:Howtoanonymouslymake$1millionintheNFL5yKatherineTerrellKiper&McShay'sNFLdraftmailbag:Answering10questionsonteamsonthemove,surprisefirst-rounders,moreColoradoStateRams20hMelKiperJr.andToddMcShayThree-roundNFLmockdraft:KiperandMcShayhandoutlandingspotsfortopprospectsArizonaCardinals3dMelKiperJr.andToddMcShay32teams,32NFLdraftquestions:WilltheChiefsmakeatrade?CouldthePatriotsstilltakeaWR?8dNFLNationIstheNFLsalarycaprealoramirage?10front-officesecretstogettingunder$208.2million9dJeremyFowlerOffseasonwins,concernsanddraftpredictionsfortheBengals,Browns,RavensandSteelers10dNFLNationSeven-roundNFLmockdraft:Reid'spredictionsforall262picks11dJordanReidNFLdraftorder2022:All262picksoversevenrounds,plusteam-by-teamselections17dESPNThreepositions(includingasurprise)CincinnatiBengalsmustaddressinupcomingNFLdraft18dBenBabyBengals'revampedO-linecouldfinallyunlocktheiroffensivepotentialunderJoeBurrow28dBenBabyNFLPowerRankings:Early1-32poll,pluspredictingthenextoffseasonmoveforeachteam25dBengalswaiveOLJohnsonjustaftersigninghim31dBenBabyNFLexpertsdebatefreeagency:Bestbargaindeals,mosthead-scratchingsigningsandourfavoritemoves27dNFLexpertsNewRound1NFLmockdraft:Kipermakeshispredictionsfrom1to3231dMelKiperJr.BengalsreleaseCBWaynesafterinjuryissues31dBenBabyClarkHarriswasaseventh-roundpickofthePackersin2007andhasplayedfortheBengalssince2009. ScottW.Grau/IconSportswireFacebookTwitterFacebookMessengerEmailSep16,2017KatherineTerrellESPNStaffWriterCloseJoinedESPNin2016 PreviouslycoveredtheSaintsfortheTimes-Picayunefrom2013-2016FollowonTwitterFacebookTwitterFacebookMessengerPinterestEmailprintCINCINNATI--BengalscornerbackDreKirkpatrickwasheadingoutofameetingonedaywhenhespottedlong-snapperClarkHarrischattingwiththeotherspecialists.Kirkpatrickstartedtowonderwhatkindsofthingsalong-snapperwoulddiscussinameeting.“Howmuchtimedoyou[need]toknowthatyou’vejustgottosnaptheball?"Kirkpatrickasked.Kirkpatrickdecidedhehadnoideawhatsnappersactuallydoallday.Hedoesn'tseethempostworkoutvideosonsocialmedia,liketheSteelers'JamesHarrisondoes.Sotheirtimedoesn'tseemconsumedbyworkingout.Sowhatisittheyactuallydo?That'sthemillion-dollarquestionforHarris,oneofupto14snappersintheleaguewhostandtomakethatmuchormorethisseason.Hehasspentyearsconvincingfansandteammatesalikethat,yes,hedoesactuallypractice.“IfsomeoneeverfindsoutIplayfortheBengals,they’relike‘Ohreally,what’syourname?’Itellthemandtheysay,'I’veneverheardofyou,’”Harrissaid."Isay,‘Well,thenI’mdoingmyjob.’Ialwaysgetalittlechuckleoutofthat.”Player,TeamCapvalueCharleyHughlett,Browns$1.46MZakDeOssie,Giants$1.3ML.P.Ladouceur,Cowboys$1.22MBeauBrinkley,Titans$1.17MKyleNelson,49ers$1.15MMikeWindt,Chargers$1.06MNickSundberg,Redskins$1,05MMorganCox,Ravens$1.04MJeffreyJansen,Panthers$1.04MJonDorenbos,Saints$1MClarkHarris,Bengals$1MSource:ESPNStats&InformationOnmostdays,Harrisisonthesidefieldwiththeotherspecialists,snappingonpunts,fieldgoalsandPATattempts.Forawhileduringthepreseason,hehadmoretodowhentheBengalscarriedthreekickers,andhissnaptotalssoaredhighintothedoubledigits.Nowthatit’stheregularseason,that’sdieddownabit.Duringwarm-upstheotherday,heevenhadsometimetoretrieveandtrytokickbackKevinHuber'spunts.“Hethinkshe’sagoodpunter,"Huberjoked.Anormaldayforalong-snapperisaboutwhatanyonewouldexpect.Heworksonhisskills,justlikeeveryoneelse.“Hedoesn’tdoawholelotofrunninginpractice.Hegetspaidtosnap,”saidBengalsspecial-teamscoordinatorDarrinSimmons.“Justlikethequarterbackthrowsalotofpasses,thesnapperhastosnap.That’swhathedoes.He’shadtosnapmorethisoffseasonthaninpreviousyears,butthat’spartofthedeal.”Harrisiswell-paidforhisservices,consideringhisposition.He'senteringthefinalseasonofafive-year,$4.95millioncontractsignedin2013.Itmightseemlikealotofmoneyforsomeonewho'sonthefieldfor14or15plays,butit'salsoharderinsomewaysforlong-snapperstokeeptheirjobs.Afterall,thereareonly32ofthesejobsopen,andteamsarealwayslookingforareasontogoyoungerandcheaper.Onebadmistakecouldbetheendoftheroad.ButHarrishasdonethisforalmostadecadewithmostoftheleaguenotevenknowinghisname.That'sexactlyhowitshouldbe.“ThelessyouknowaboutClark,thebetter;let’sputitthatway,”Simmonssaid.Simmonsknowsaswellasanyonewhatcanhappenwhenalong-snappergetsattentionforthewrongreasons.BeforeHarris,therewasBradSt.Louis,whosnappedfortheBengalsfor10yearsandwasevenpopularenoughtohavehisownwebsiteandfanclub.St.Louiswasforthemostpartaperfectlyfinelong-snapper,exceptforonebadsnaponaPATin2006thatnotonlycosttheBengalsawinagainsttheBroncos,butapotentialplayoffberthaswell.St.Louiswasrespectedenoughbytheorganizationtostickaroundforseveralyearsafterthat.Butthingswentsouthin2009afterastringofbadsnapstookatleast11pointsofftheboardandcosttheBengalssomewins.St.LouiswasreleasedandHarriswassignedafterspendingthefirstpartofhiscareerbouncingaroundpracticesquads.“Mentally,Bradstruggledwithconfidenceandnerves,"Simmonssaid."Brad’saccuracyreallywentoffthedeepend.WebroughtClarkintotrytoputoutafire.”St.Louissaidtheproblemwasallmentalinhiscase.Playerstypicallyhavetheabilitytoblockouteverythingwhentheygetonthefield,butthingshappeninginhispersonallifearoundthattimejustbecametoomuchtoignore.Oncehecouldnolongerblockthosethingsout,St.Louisknewhiscareerwasover.Bengalslong-snapperClarkHarrissumsuphislongevityasanNFLlong-snapper:"Can'tmessup.That'sallthereistoit." LesliePlazaJohnson/IconSportswireHarris,33,isnowenteringhis10thaccruedseason,thesamenumberofyearsSt.Louislasted.Hethinkshecangoanother10ifsomeonewantshimaround.Thereareafewreasonshehasstuckaround.Asaformertightend,Harrishasrareathleticismforthepositionandcanunderstandcoveragesandmakeatackleifneeded.“Therearesomeguyswhoarenotveryathleticincoverage,”Simmonssaid.“Theycansnapwell,buttheydon’tcover.Clarkalwaysfindsawaytogethimselfinpositiontomakethetackleattherighttimes.”He'stougherthanpeoplethink.Harrisinjuredhisgroinduringagamelastseasonandcouldbarelywalk.ButwhenitbecamecleartheBengals'emergencysnappersweren'tgoingtocutit,heplayedouttherestofthegame.Asforthementalaspect,Harrisseemstohavethatdown.Hisattitudecanbestbedescribedascarefree,withlonghairdowntohisshouldersandtattoosonhisarms.“[Brad]wasalittlemorecleancut,dideverythingtherightway.Clarkisalittlemorerougharoundtheedges,”saidHuber,whoisHarris’lockerneighborandgoodfriend.HarrisspendshisfreetimeplayingiPhonegames,particularlyPokemonGo,acrazethatcameandwentquicklylastsummer.“Backwhentheyhadthoselittlehoverboards,he’dhoverboardfromhishousetohereandstopandhitacouple[hotspots]alongtheway,”Hubersaid.“Ithinkit’sthemostbizarrethingever.”Surprisingly,Harrisalsohappenstobeoneofthebiggertrash-talkersontheteam.“Theyain’tgotnothingbuttime,"Kirkpatricksaid.Hubercanattesttothat.HesaidHarrisgleefullygetsintoitwithopposingfanswhenhe’sonthesidelines.Consideringhe’sonlyinthegameforaroundadozenplays,that’salotoffreetime.“Helikesroadgames,becausehelovesitwhenpeoplestarttalkingtohim,andhe’llfireback.Hegetsareallybigkickoutofthat,”Hubersaid.“There’ssomeplaceslikeBaltimoreandPittsburgh,it’susuallyseason-ticketholders,becauseit’sthesameguyseachyear.They’vegottentoknowhimalittlebit,sowhenhecomesback,they’rescreaminghisname.Hehasfunwithit.”Hubersaidhecouldn’trepeatmostofthewordssaid,buthecouldsumupthegeneralconversation:“Theyjusttrytogetonhimforbeingalong-snapper.Healwaysjustcomesbackwith‘Well,you’repayingtowatchmeplay.’Therearesomemorechoicewordsbeingusedbackandforth,butthat’sthegistofit.”Isalong-snapperworth$1millionayear?TheBengalsseemtothinkso,aslongashecontinuestoremainmostlyanonymous.“Can’tmessup.That’sallthereistoit,”Harrissaid.“Youstarthavingacoupleofbaddaysinpractice,peoplearegoingtostartnoticing.Haveabadgame,andtheythinkyou’reslipping.Youcan’tmessup.”