Profiles In Terpage – A Countdown To The Football Season: Tim Downs
By petevolk
A recurring series where we will profile every player on Maryland’s roster, counting down to kick-off against Miami. Thanks to OBNUG for the idea.
More special teams today.
Tim Downs, Senior (RS), Long Snapper
Stats:
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 230
Ratings: #7 long snapper in the nation coming out of high school in 2006 according to prokicker.com
Average Snap Time: 0.80 seconds (high school combines)
Best Snap Time: 0.76 seconds (high school combines)
High School: Derry Area High School (Derry, Pa.)
How’d He Get To College Park?
Downs was a top-rated long snapper coming out of high school in Derry, outside of Pittsburgh in Western PA. He walked on to the Maryland program, and has been a successful starter since his sophomore season (bonus points for alliteration?).
Nickname:
“The Snapping Turtle”
Look-a-Like:
Career Highlight:
The hero part of unsung hero.
Career Lowlight:
The unsung part of unsung hero.
Arbitrary Top Five List:
Last five long snappers to make a Pro Bowl:
1. John Denney
2. Zak DeOssie
3. Ryan Pontbriand
4. Ethan Albright
5. Jon Dorenbos
Dream season:
Downs continues to do his work silently, helping the special teams units accomplish a resurgent year. Nick Ferrara makes an All-ACC team and either Michael Tart or Nathan Renfro have a great year punting.
Nightmare season:
The streak (more on that in a second) ends, and Downs botches the snap on that fateful punt attempt. Greg Parcher creeps up on him for the starting job, but still can’t overtake it.
2011 prospectus:
Downs has been a key part of Maryland’s record 136 straight games without having a punt blocked. He’s been a mainstay in Maryland’s well-oiled punting machine, and is one of the more underappreciated players on this roster. Long snappers are like umpires and so many other people in sports – you only notice them when they do their job wrong. Downs has gone largely unnoticed at Maryland thanks to being one of the better long snappers in the ACC, and that’s really all you can ask for.
Up Next:
Our next player is from a town whose name is more befitting of a town in, well, just about any other state.