This is a feature I did last year to kill some off-season time, and I'm bringing it over to Testudo Times with me. We're starting off a little earlier this year, and there will be a new one every few days or so over the next months. We start it off with special teams.
Greg Parcher, Junior (RS), Long Snapper, #59
via grfx.cstv.com
Stats:
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 185
Major: Geographic Information Systems
Twitter: @GParch80
Collegiate Stats: N/A
High School Stats: N/A
Recruiting Ratings: Unranked
High School: Archbishop Spalding
Hometown: Hanover, Md.
High School Highlights:
You see something new every day. For today, that's long snapping highlights.
How'd He Get to College Park?
Parcher played long snapper and defensive back at Spalding, helping the Cavaliers to a 5-5 finish during his senior campaign in 2008. He had the fastest average time at Chris Rubio's 7th Annual National Kicking/Long Snapping event, averaging .70 seconds per snap, but was ranked as the tenth best long snapper there (you have to think the only possible explanation was accuracy problems). Parcher redshirted in 2009 and then spent the last two years as the backup to Tim Downs, who graduated last season.
Nickname:
Greg "Psterling" Parcher. We're going to try and fit as many Archer, Justified and Wire references in these nicknames as we can. Most of them will be stretches.
Career Highlight:
Long snapper highlights and trick shots in one day?! Christmas came early.
Career Lowlight:
Not getting in a game for his first three years thanks to Tim Downs.
Dream Season:
Parcher does his job, and nobody notices him.
Nightmare Season:
We end up talking about him thanks to a botched snap (or snaps).
2012 Prospectus:
Being a long snapper is a lot like being a referee - if you're doing your job right, no one talks about it. It's a thankless job, but one that is integral to the special teams unit and to the success of the team. Parcher enters the 2012 campaign as the only long snapper on Maryland's roster, and takes over for one of the best ones in the conference over the past decade in Downs.
It will be interesting to see who they use as Parcher's holder - the most likely candidates look like transfer Ricky Schultz and punter Michael Tart. Neither of those guys have any experience at the D-1 level, and we'll see if the coaches decide to go with one of the veterans to help out the new long snapper.
Maryland's streak without a blocked punt ended last year after over a decade when a Nick Ferrara punt was blocked against Temple. We'll see in September if Parcher can continue the success recent Maryland long snappers have had. The Terps certainly don't have another choice.
Up Next:
Our next player was rated the #1 punter in the state of North Carolina in 2009 by a kicking website.