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Cincinnati Bengals

Making the most of his skill

By Scott Priestle, CNATI.com Posted May 3, 2010 6:00 AM ET

Mike Windt began long-snapping in the sixth grade. He played tight end "for a couple games" at Elder High School. Otherwise, his football career has been spent upside down, looking backward through his legs.

As such, he has a unique perspective on the game. And a unique opportunity.

Though he might not be able to compete with other NFL wannabes in the most fundamental components of the sport -- running, blocking and tackling -- he has a good chance to make the Bengals because he executes one act so well: snapping the ball for punts and kicks.

"He has a lot of ability," coach Marvin Lewis said. "He has great accuracy with it, great velocity with it and a great feel for it. He's going to get a good opportunity to prove if he can do it for us here."

Windt was not drafted last weekend but said he had multiple offers to sign as a free agent. He chose the Bengals because they are not set at the position, and because he will be reunited with punter Kevin Huber, his best friend, part-time coach and former teammate at the University of Cincinnati.

"He not only knows punting very well, he knows long-snapping," Windt said. "He knows me very well, and he knows my tendencies. He can help me fix them pretty fast."

Aside from Huber and Jay Roden -- a former long-snapper at Ohio University and junior varsity assistant coach at Elder -- Windt's talent is self-taught. It often is for long-snappers. The technique is difficult to master; honing NFL-caliber velocity and accuracy requires hours of practice, which few folks are willing to do and fewer are willing to analyze.

At UC, Mike Elston was the special teams coach, in addition to coaching the defensive line. He excelled at teaching coverage schemes, but he did not have the time or the knowledge to help Windt and the other long-snappers with their technique. Ditto for Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons.

"What you really need is somebody who has done it in the NFL and gone through all the stages and can teach it, and there aren't that many people out there," Windt said. "It's the details. The details are what make a long-snapper. It's complicated, but once you've got it down, you're good, and I think I've got it down pat. I feel really good about where I'm at."

What Simmons can help him with -- and already has, in only a few practices during the Bengals rookie minicamp -- is reading a defense and understanding the blocking schemes, which are much more complex in the NFL than in college.

"He's teaching me things I thought I knew yesterday, but then he's teaching me details inside the details," Windt said. "It's a really good situation, really good. I'm happy right now."

He will compete during training camp with Clark Harris, who joined the Bengals last October and snapped for the final 11 games. Harris has played in 15 games in three years since entering the NFL. He replaced Brad St. Louis, who was the Bengals' primary long snapper from 2000 until suddenly losing accuracy last season.

Harris and St. Louis played tight end in college and could play the position in a pinch in the NFL. Windt's talent is more concentrated: He has specialized in long snapping since the day in sixth grade when he snapped the ball to his dad on a whim and realized he could throw a better pass between his legs than overhand.

"It's crazy," he said. "I thought it was cool to do it in college. But to get an opportunity here, with Kevin, it's just -- it's awesome. It's a really good opportunity for me."

With a sarcastic smile, he added, "I knew one day it would lead me to this. No, just kidding. Not at all."

Windt said he did not give the NFL serious consideration until the Bengals drafted Huber last year. He paid particular attention to his technique over the past year.

The Bengals were impressed enough to sign him and invite him to training camp, which is no small commitment. Considering the 80-man limit the NFL has imposed in recent years, teams do not invite a second snapper to camp unless they have serious interest.

"You never know what's out there and what's available. You'd better keep looking," Lewis said. "Mike has a lot of ability. He really does."

 

Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories, Profiles

Tags: Bengals, Clark Harris, Kevin Huber, Mike Windt