The Players’ Corner

Long snapper isn’t a position filled with glory and headlines. It’s a position defined by consistency, accuracy, and a calm approach.

The underdog qualities of a long snapper embody who Cayson Pfeiffer was as a football player, and who he is now in his real estate career.

Pursuing Long Snapping: A Decision that Paid Off

Cayson didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a long snapper, but by high school, he saw it as his best shot to keep playing. He told his high school coaches, “I want to play division one football, and I’m probably not big enough, fast enough, strong enough to play tight end or linebacker at that level. So I’m going to give long snapper a shot.”

While Cayson wasn’t solely focused on long snapping in high school, he thinks it was advantageous for him; He improved as an athlete and truly knew the game of football. Long snapping was just like “riding a bike” once he learned the technique.

Like many specialists, Cayson began attending some camps to help with recruiting. At first, he didn’t even realize some players were only focused on snapping, as he expressed, “When I first showed up, I’m like, ‘What? These dudes just snap in high school and stuff? That’s not even fun.’”

But his enjoyment playing other sports and positions made the mental transition into specializing tough. Regarding only playing long snapper in college, he admitted, “The biggest adjustment for me was just like, ‘This is what you’re doing now.’”

Cayson’s choice to pursue long snapping paid off in every way. He earned a preferred walk-on offer from the University of Cincinnati, which was only the first step of his remarkable college career.

Redshirting as a Freshman: Staying the Course

As a specialist, there are only so many roster spots available. This means a lot of younger guys have to wait their turn. Through the difficult transition period, Cayson realized he had to buy in, grind, and earn respect.

But he admitted it was a difficult adjustment as a freshman, “I actually showed up probably only two weeks there, and they couldn’t bring the whole roster to camp. So, like me and two other specialists got sent home, and I’m like, what am I even doing? Is this—am I on the team?”

Cayson didn’t get to suit up for away games or get on the field in his first season at UC. He explained, “I was third string. I didn’t travel with the team. You know, they only travel a certain amount. So they traveled the two and then, you know, I would be at the home games redshirted.”

But he stayed patient, understanding that a limited role was simply part of his journey. Rather than lose confidence, he embraced the challenge and focused on preparing for his chance to compete in year two.

Competing for the Field: Winning the Job and Never Looking Back

With the graduation of the starting long snapper, year 2 meant an opportunity for Cayson to compete for the starting role.

Luckily for Cayson, his special team coach’s scientific technique “finally clicked,” and he went into his second year prepared to win the job.

The difference between Cayson and his teammate was measured in the “nitpicky” details and statistics. It came down to things like percentages regarding ball speed and perfect laces. And it meant that when he won the job, there was clear proof that he earned it. And he didn’t just earn the starting job, he earned himself a full-ride scholarship too.

Cayson got to jump right into starting for a Cincinnati team that was making program history. He mentioned, “[Cincinnati] was always a basketball school, right? Turned into football a little bit and then bang, my first year playing—COVID year—Peach Bowl versus Georgia [we] lost on a field goal and then the following we’re [in the] cotton ball versus Bama.”

These games were some of Cayson’s biggest national stages. Looking back on the games, he laughed and said, “When you get to play Bama like that and you’re an American Conference team, we’re undersized and stuff. You could see it in the alignment. It was funny. I remember running down the field. I’m like, ‘They got like a 6’5” 250-pound walk-on blocking me. And that’s like our stud starter.’”

Even when you’re playing on the national stage, as a long snapper, attention likely isn’t a good thing. One of the defining parts about the position is the ability to go unnoticed, as Cayson explained, “Long snapper — I mean, you don’t want anyone to know you because if someone knows you, you probably messed up unless you make a tackle or something. You want to kind of go under the radar unnoticed and just be consistent.”

Long snappers are most likely to go viral for catastrophic and game-changing mistakes. While there aren’t many situations for a long snapper to win the game, there are certainly situations to lose it, as Cayson explained, “There’s ones [where] you’re on the two-yard line, tight in the end zone. You’ve got to step it on the hip. I mean, you snap it out of the end zone. It’s a damn safety.”

This makes the position more of a mental battle than anything else. Cayson mentioned that approaching the game as a long snapper, you can’t get fired up like other positions, “I go back to high school, I moved to defensive line, actually my senior year, and you’re trying to take someone’s head off… Long snapping is a different position, man. You’ve got to just stay calm, collected, and cool. You can’t get too high; You can’t get too low because it’s really that one snap, one kick mentality.”

Cayson had a pretty simple mentality to keep his confidence. For him, “It’s just a deep breath and let it rip.” Even if it means trusting your gut and letting it rip without hearing the cadence with the stadium rocking, “I even remember one of the games, like I just snapped it. Like we had a ‘ready, set, call’ and he said ready. And, I waited a second, didn’t hear set, and I just let it rip.”

Cayson’s ability to let it rip allowed him to win the job in his second season and never look back. And it even earned him a spot in the Big 10 to play for his UC coach, Luke Fickell, again in his sixth and final year.

At Wisconsin, he had a little more responsibility on the field and had to play with a little more juice again having to block and protect. He recalled, “I mean I had a 250 pound middle linebacker bull rushing me trying to take my head off, and you’re just holding on for dear life, but you just make it happen.”

Just make it happen. That simple approach carried Cayson through six seasons of college football, two programs, and countless pressure snaps. And in a position built on invisibility, it was the quiet consistency that made his career stand out.

Life After Ball: The Inner Long Snapper Remains

Cayson could have chosen to chase a career in the NFL. But he made the decision to hang the cleats up and pursue a new focus: real estate.

Walking away from the sport with 3 college degrees and lifelong memories, Cayson expressed, “I was more than happy with what I got out of my career. I got above and beyond a college [degree] and I was just ready to hang it up.”

He continued, “I respect the hell out of people that chase it (a professional career) for three, four years, and they can make it. And I know people who have… But that—I didn’t have that passion for me to do that.”

But the long snapper in him is a part of him that’s never going away, “I feel like long snapper is me my whole life. Like [it’s] the perfect position for how I live my life. Honestly, I relate it to that. Like the underdog mentality is like, nothing ever is going to be given to you, man. That’s everything in life.”

Reflecting back on his football career and new path, Cayson expressed:

“I went from a third-string walk-on that had no business playing Division I football to starting five seasons on full-ride and finishing at Wisconsin. Like, I don’t hang my hat and I’m humble and don’t really think of that. But sometimes you got to put it in perspective. Like if I can do that, why can’t I be a baller down here in real estate? Even if there are six million real estate agents, I don’t care. You’ve just got to outwork everyone and want it more than everyone and do the gritty hard work when people aren’t watching. Shoot, I’ll door-knock dude on houses, I mean, I’ll cold call… You can never be too big for a job that you think is too small.”

Cayson Pfeiffer left behind a career that was proof that success doesn’t always follow the spotlight. He quietly earned his way from walk-on to a 5-year starter through a “let it rip” mantra. Even as he embarks on his next path, the underdog long snapper in him continues to drive him. Now, for Cayson, it’s time to let it rip on the Naples beachfront selling houses.