Northwestern University Athletics
One-On-One with Phil Brunner
9/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 24, 2008
You walked on to the team as a quarterback your freshman year and now you are in your third year as the starting long-snapper. How did you make that transition?
Well, I came in as a quarterback and I put up pretty high numbers on parts of the strength test. I was fifth or sixth string and Coach (Walker) thought maybe I could play linebacker. I tried out for linebacker after Kenosha and I went through the whole season as a backup and scout team player. During the following winter, since the current long-snapper Chris Horton was leaving, Coach Walker had the idea of trying someone from the team to replace him rather than recruiting someone. My name came up in the meeting and Horton trained me through that whole winter. In the spring, I had to beat out the backup long-snapper to get the spot. I did that and was behind Chris my whole redshirt freshman year, and after that I was starting. Thanks to Coach Walker, I had the opportunity and I'm here today in my third year starting.
What do you think Coach Walker saw in you that made him think you would adapt so well to the position?
He figured if I could throw the ball over my shoulder; why not throw between my legs? He saw I had the determination and right body size, although I had to put on 30 pounds my first year with the amazing strength and conditioning program we have here. He saw the potential and saw I had the mental ability to do it having been a quarterback. He saw something in me, gave me the opportunity and I ran with it.
How do you "train" to be a long-snapper?
It was actually pretty difficult. It is just rep after rep to get that feeling down. It's like riding a bike. When you first start riding, you fall of a couple times. I had to take thousands and thousands of reps during the winter. Chris Horton really helped me out in getting my technique down. It was just a lot of reps and getting that feeling in your body from doing it over and over again.
Who are you training to be your successor and how has that process been going?
John Henry Pace transferred in and has really improved over the last year. He is the backup now. It will be a good competition between him and Brian Peters. In the winter, I'll probably come back and help them out and give Coach Fitz some advice on who should start, but those guys are doing well.
What are you thoughts on the phrase describing long-snappers, "No one knows your name until you screw up?"
People do say that. I don't need the glory, but it's an important position and I just go out there and do my job. It is like a machine. You have to just go out there and do it like you do in practice. I just go out there and enjoy myself.
Since there is no position specific coach, how important is senior leadership for long snappers?
Chris Horton was basically my coach. Coach Fitz doesn't have too much experience with long snapping, so the senior long snapper really has to help the younger guys. It's a real student-teacher relationship.
Are you hoping to be involved in a special teams trick play before your career is over?
I would like to be involved in one. We definitely practice them, but Coach Fitz is the guy who makes the call on if we use them.
Coach Fitzgerald called you, "the biggest nerd on the team." Why is that?
I am a chemical engineer and graduated last year. I always come into meetings and discuss school and what I'm doing with my research so it's a joke we have among the specialists that they call me a nerd. I really enjoy what I do in school, but I enjoy what I do here. It's a name that came up, but I'm fine with it.
You'll be in graduate school during your fifth year on the football team. What will you be studying?
The degree is in Material Science Engineering. I am looking forward to it. I am doing a thesis on Biodegradable Polymers and Nanocomposites.
What are you looking to do after football?
I want to do some traveling after I'm done. For five years, I've done the same thing over and over again. I'm looking forward to taking some time away to go to Europe or South America. After that, hopefully get a job and start working next fall.
