The Most Overlooked Position in Football Gets a Coming of Age Story
Chase Riley is the backup center and linebacker at Copper Creek High School, pride and joy of the Copper Creek Township in New Jersey. He’s the high school football team’s long snapper; the guy who gets the ball to the punter or to the placeholder for field goals. It’s an unheralded position. No football fan knows the name of the long snapper on any team but theirs. Most don’t even know the long snapper on their favorite team if they’re a first generation fan or a lifetime devotee.
Chase is overshadowed by higher profile players on the team. Ulysses “U-Turn” Turner is the star quarterback. Doug Hagan, the star center, is also sought after by scouts. The teammates are as close as any family, having grown up together in a town that isn’t exactly riddled with excitement and amusement.
Outside of football, he’s an excellent student, carries a strong work ethic (which he puts to use at Uncle Carmine’s Crab Shack), a decent boyfriend, and a classmate who looks out for his friends. Like many high school athletes, he doesn’t have much of a plan beyond his senior year. He gets a potential option one day when a recruiter from a small Virginia college shows up to scout some of the other players. Even then, it’s not the lure of football that calls to him as loudly as some of their science programs.
Long Snapper’s Blues has a very John Hughes vibe. Chase’s parents are supportive. His sister is a deadbeat (with a boyfriend who’s even worse.) His girlfriend has some major Type A tendencies, because she wants what’s best for her future. Chase and Liviana have been together for years, and at times, he feels like they’re stuck in neutral.
Chase’s story is somewhat typical. He faces some challenges with school and family, and football is a release if not a full-throttle passion. His girlfriend can frustrate him. His stepfather is genuinely supportive. The specter of his drunk, deadbeat father is never too far out of frame. In fact, Ole Lum shows up with some temptations that put Chase in pretty complicated predicaments.
The hidden gem of Long Snapper’s Blues is that no one is the stereotype readers might believe upon first impressions. The dumb jocks, flirty hot girls, Coach, and even some of the deadbeat former athletes all have layers. Author Mike Tanier gives every character depth, many at times the reader would least expect.
Long Snapper’s Blues feels like it could have worked perfectly as a show on The CW. Slot it right between All-American and Riverdale in 2019 (when it was published) and viewers likely could have followed Chase’s entire college journey. Until one of the streaming services or studios realizes what they’re missing, readers will be well served by grabbing their copy of this story.
Long Snapper’s Blues is available now on Amazon.