Sophomore Jeff Curtis didn't come to North Dakota State with many high school honors; he was honorable mention all-conference as a junior at Robbinsdale Cooper in the Twin Cities. But he's filled a valuable role with the Bison: a dependable long snapper on punts, field goals and extra points.
Q: Do you enjoy the anonymity of the position?
A: I definitely love the idea that if your name isn't being mentioned, then you're doing a good job. Nobody knows who you are unless you screw up. (Punter Mike Dragosavich) is getting a lot of publicity this year because he's able to get the punt off, and he wouldn't be getting the punt off if the snap wasn't good.
Are long snappers highly recruited?
Not unless they're needed. They're usually walk-ons. Coach (Brent) Vigen gave me a call totally out of the blue. I filled out a recruiting sheet and didn't hear from him for five months. It was my only Division I possibility so I definitely grabbed it. I had some possibilities with Division II programs where I could have been on the team for sure, but this is what I wanted.
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How do you gauge a good game?
Like I said before, if my name isn't mentioned and the other thing is to make some tackles. It's a lot different this year because we switched to a "spread" punt instead of a "tight" punt and that means I snap, block and then run down field. It's a mental game. I need to relax and stay calm on the sideline, but once I snap it, I turn into turbo mode and try to block somebody. Three questions for Jeff Curtis 20071027
