Former Jenks Football Player Plays Crucial Role For NFL-Leading Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have the best record in the National Football League and the probable MVP and Lamar Jackson.

But one player you may not have heard of is critical after each touchdown. Long-snapper Tyler Ott has had a long journey to the NFL from Jenks High School.

You may have never heard his name or even his position on the field, but that's the life of a long snapper. One of the most thankless jobs in football, but also one of the most important.

When the ball goes through the uprights or lands inside the 5-yard line on a punt, the kickers get the celebrations.

None of it happens without one crucial player like Ravens' Tyler Ott, the long snapper.

"Yeah. We have a, we have a strength coach here that says I'm just an upside-down ball flicker," Ott said.

They toil in anonymity, unknown and usually unnoticed, but never undervalued.

"The long snappers are the unsung heroes of our special teams," said Ravens Special Teams coach Randy Brown.

For the snapper, holder and kicker, it's all about practice, precision and perfection.

So, what makes a great snap?

"A nice spiral... you don't wanna throw it too fast and make it hard to catch," Ott said. "So, it's, it's like it's making it an easily catchable ball in the same spot every time."

Ott said it's a process that is so exact that the timing is measured in decimals, from snap to kick on a field goal, 1.3 seconds.

It has to be perfect so one of the best kickers in NFL history, Justin Tucker, can add three points to the scoreboard.

"Long snappers are maybe right next to the quarterback, like some of the best throwers of the football on a given football team. They just happen to do it upside down between their legs," Tucker said.

Ott began playing football in the fifth grade in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Harvard graduate dreamt of catching touchdowns as an NFL tight end.

"Around senior year I kind of realized I'm not gonna make it as a tight end," Ott said. "My snapping coach, Carl Johnson, he always said, 'One day you could snap in the league,' back then. I was, you know, no, I wanna play tight end."

Ott said his coach told him snapping is more than a resume builder, but it's great for recruiting.

Games are closer than ever, you can't have a, you know, a tight end, just go in there and roll one back on a game-winning field goal," Ott said. "You can see it trickling down into college where snappers in college are getting scholarships now."

The closeness of the games and the size of his opponents doesn't bother him.

"You know, the pressure there's everybody talks about, oh the pressure must be crazy. How do you handle pressure? And I feel like I've always been able to do that," Ott said.

His mental and physical toughness are part of his superpowers. He's now in his ninth season and he made the Pro Bowl in 2021. On the field, opponents know his number, but it's a different story off the gridiron.

"While people might not know my name or recognize me on the street, that has its benefits," Ott said. "I can go out to dinner with my wife and I don't have to take pictures or give autographs or get a private room. SSometimes you wish you were recognized a little more but I can go to the grocery store and not be bothered."

His recognition comes from his team, for his unique skill snapping his way to the top of the sport.