Long Snapper Tim Coleman Leaves His Mark Across The Country
MADISON- The whirlwind travels of James Clemens football player Tim Coleman will continue through his senior season and beyond as the talented center/long snapper for the Jets has been selected to play in the annual Blue-Grey All-American Bowl on Jan. 27, 2025 in Tampa Fla. If that wasn’t enough, Coleman was also selected as one of two permanent captains of the Jets for the 2024 season.
“We’ve always been leaders, but now we’ve got the label,” said Coleman of his and teammate Cam Berry’s selections as 2024 captains of the squad that is thought to have an excellent chance at winning their area and advancing deep into the post-season playoffs.
For Coleman, the 5-foot-11, 225-pound offensive lineman took to the roads again this year very similar to his travels in 2023 visiting numerous camps and training sessions for long snapping. The position is a true valued talent of any football team from high school to the professional ranks as the long snapper is responsible of getting the snaps to the punter and the awaiting placeholder on place kicks. The snaps have to be crisp and precise on the accuracy the ball arrives to the hands of those waiting for the kicks.
His travels alongside his father, Clay, were enormous in 2024. They attended seven long snapper camps in 12 days traveling a total of 3,934 miles, all by car. To put that distance in perspective, the miles total the equivalent of driving from the East Coast to the West Coast and then returning to San Antonio, Texas. The stops included Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Arkansas, Missouri, South Alabama and Vanderbilt. In addition, the father-son duo attended private tryout camps with Georgia, Troy and Samford.
“In between those trips I also attended the Chris Rubio Top 12 Camp in Lewiston, Idaho and traveled to Eau Claire, Wis. where I trained for two days with Kyle Stelter of Special Teams U.,” said Coleman. “He is thought as one of the best in his field as he trains current NFL and NCAA long snappers, as well as, a limited number of select high school players like myself. It was a one-on-one situation where he taught me new techniques and body movement.”
In all, 11,202 miles were spent on long snapping training for Coleman who is regarded as the No. 1 long snapper in Alabama among the class of 2025 and is rated No. 24 in the country.
“By going to these places I found out I know the coaches are looking at me and I’m well thought of,” added Coleman, 17. “At the Auburn camp, I was the only player where the coaches called me out by my name. I know they see my talents.”
At each stop, Coleman and his father would spend time in their hotel room and watch video of the young Coleman’s work in the camps. They would critique what they saw. Coleman added, “My dad would talk to me from a mental standpoint and always pass along positive words to keep me going in a positive manner, especially if I had a bad day at a camp.”
Coleman also trains with current Madison Police Officer Ryan Parris, who is a former long snapper for James Clemens and played for Alabama before he made his way to law enforcement and is the current resource officer at his alma mater of James Clemens.
Coleman said his best snap in quickest time is .65-seconds, which is among the times most professional and college long snappers post. His accuracy is also magnificent. Additional statistics for the Jets’ senior include a 5-second time in the 40-yard dash, 345 pounds in the bench press and 500 pounds in the squat. But Coleman is more than just brawn, he’s also a true student in the classroom as he has a 4.07 grade point average, which brings in the next question for the student-athlete; Where will you attend college?
“I’m currently not sure, but Troy is a top choice right now as they have shown the most interest with USA also showing a lot of interest, but there’s still a long way to go before I make my final decision,” said Coleman of his possible future of earning his education in engineering and playing football at the next level. “The transfer portal is currently a big issue for a lot of players who are trying to make plans for their future. Schools can wait on signing a high school player while looking to the transfer portal to grab a player already with some college experience.”
Coleman is proud of where he is among the world of football. The team and coaches voted on permanent captains and he and Berry will wear the “C” that will be stitched into their uniforms the entire season. Coleman also said he thinks the offense the Jets have will be superb and the team has an excellent chance at a great season.
As for his efforts of the last three years of traveling to camps across the country and spending hours going through training to be an excellent long snapper, Coleman said, “I didn’t think my efforts were worth it at the beginning, but now I see to where all the efforts have paid off. I had to stick with it, get better and listen to my father and my coaches. I know it was all worth the efforts that got me to where I am today.”
