It isn’t often that a longsnapper gets a scholarship.
It’s even more rare for two longsnappers to get scholarships from the same school.
Though it defies the odds, LSU longsnapping commit Blake Ferguson will join his older brother and current LSU longsnapper Reid on scholarship when the 2015 season rolls around.
“I can’t wait,” Blake said. “I’m speechless trying to talk about it.”
Blake hopes to be slowly eased into the role his older brother has mastered at LSU. Reid has played 291 total snaps since he began his career with the Tigers and has only had one bad snap. This single mistake was made on his first collegiate snap, when he snapped the ball over the punter’s head against North Texas in 2012.
“Whatever I do, I can’t seem to escape that one,” Reid said. “Everybody brings it up. I just got excited and put too much juice on it.”
But since that high snap, Reid hasn’t missed a beat.
The Ferguson brothers grew up in Buford, Georgia, playing for Buford High School, a program with six state championship wins in the last 10 years. Along with regular coaching in their high school program, the Ferguson brothers were taught and mentored by longsnapping instructor Chris Rubio.
“To be honest with you, I don’t think I would be where I am today if it weren’t for Rubio,” Reid said. “He’s taught me everything about snapping through his camps and just learning from him. He has helped me and my brother tremendously.”
Widely considered the top longsnapping coach in the nation, Rubio worked with the brothers to perfect their snaps since their early days at the position. Rubio is a former longsnapper for UCLA who started for three years in college without a single bad snap.
Rubio has since started sharing snapping expertise to longsnappers across the country. Since 2010, Rubio has helped nearly 350 longsnappers land a spot on a college roster. However, the Fergusons’ work ethic set them apart from the others.
“What sets the Fergusons apart is their ability to keep improving,” Rubio said. “They are never complacent. They listen very well, and they are never content with being good. They both want to achieve greatness.”
When Blake steps on campus in 2015, Reid will be entering his senior season with the Tigers. This will give Reid time to help Blake adjust to college life both on and off the field.
“I’m going to kind of show him the ropes of Baton Rouge,” Reid said. “Get him used to living on his own, take him grocery shopping, just teach him to keep his apartment clean. I’m looking forward to taking him under my wing for half a year and doing what I can to help him out.”
The Fergusons don’t anticipate fighting for the starting job in fall 2015. They both said they believe the job belongs to Reid, and Blake will spend a year learning the system before Reid graduates in 2016.
“The way it has been put to me is that I’m going to go [to LSU] next summer, redshirt that year, and then snap for the four years after that,” Blake said. “I’m cool with it, and I’m excited because my brother will have a year to teach me.”
Blake will play in the 2015 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, a game that featured current Tiger freshmen Trey Quinn, Davon Godchaux and Travonte Valentine after their senior high school seasons.
Reid participated in the Under Armour All-America game after his senior year of high school but supports his brother’s decision to make his own name.
“He wanted to try his own thing,” Reid said. “He got to see me in the practices and in the Under Armour game, and I think he enjoyed seeing that, but I think he wants to create his own path.”
Both Reid and Blake credit much of their success to the support their parents, Kevin and Tracy, have given them throughout the years.
“Our parents have always taught us to work hard and no matter what you do, be the best at it,” Blake said. “And that’s really the way that we have approached football and academics and everything in life.”
Reid has snapped 32 times on punts and field goals this season without a single mistake, and he has also made big plays on special teams. Against the University of Louisiana-Monroe, Reid snapped for a punt and subsequently ran down and tackled the returner inside the 10-yard line. Blake is also having a solid year with Buford High School, helping the Wolves start the year 3-0.
Although Blake won’t be on campus for almost a year, Reid has one piece of advice for his little brother as he starts the next chapter of his life at LSU.
“Stay grounded,” Reid said. “Know when to get excited, know when to keep your head on straight, and just be yourself.”
You can reach Michael Haarala on Twitter @haarala_TDR.