Blue Devils' newest recruit is a snap (sorry)

Make no mistake, Nick Sink is capable of playing at Duke and in the ACC, according to his coach, Forsyth Country Day’s Mark Moroz. But his ticket beyond college could depend on a very specialized skill.

While he doesn’t play center, Sink, a fine athlete who is all-state in hoops, has developed into a remarkable long snapper. That’s the guy who hikes the ball on punts, extra points and field goals.

“His long snapping ability is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” said Moroz, who has seen a lot of snaps in his days as a Wake Forest standout, a brief NFL appearance with Tampa Bay and several seasons in the CFL.

“In the NFL, the average long snapper gets the ball where it’s going in 0.72 seconds,” Moroz said. “Nick gets it there in 0.74. That could be his ticket into the league.”

Lots of players who couldn’t get on an NFL field any other way turn long snapping into a good career—think of former Panthers’ long snapper Jason Kyle.

--Stan Olson