Long snapper looks to glorify position in record year

With all the success UTEP has been experiencing at the punting game this season, one can not over look where each process begins. Senior long snapper Matt Camilli is that guy who initiates each punt, extra point and field goal in one of the most underappreciated positions in all of football.

"It's the most un-glorified, pressurized position you could imagine," Camilli said. "People don't understand it and don't notice you until you mess up, but I've enjoyed it because it's a challenge."

Camilli has been the Miners' long snapper for the last three years. As a sophomore in 2009, he had one tackle and was the main snapper after the first game. Last year, as a junior, he had four tackles and did not have a punt blocked all year. This year, Camilli has started in every game he's played, adding two tackles to his career totals.

After redshirting his freshman year in 2007, Camilli became the team's kick snapper in 2009 and the permanent long snapper his junior year. He said he made the full transition because Price did not want to risk him getting hurt.

"I was perfectly content with it because long snapping was the main reason that I got recruited (to UTEP)," Camilli said. "That's what I used to send films out to other schools."

The only time Camilli has dealt with injuries was this year when he missed three games in September after breaking his arm Sept. 10 at SMU. According to junior punter Ian Campbell, he could tell the difference in receiving snaps those games.

"It was really bad when he went down at SMU," Campbell said. "We found out really quickly that Camilli is a key part of our game. Going into survival mode at SMU is really tough."

Camilli left the SMU game during the contest, meaning the first game he missed entirely was against NMSU in his home city of Las Cruces. He graduated from Mayfield High School as a defensive end and long snapper, winning two state championships with them in 2005 and 2006. His move to El Paso and UTEP came with mixed emotions.

"I had a lot of love and hate from the people in (Las) Cruces, but they still supported me in the years I've been here," Camilli said.

Since then, and the entire year, Camilli has been a part of Campbell's campaign for the Ray Guy Award—the nation's best punter. Campbell was first in average punting yards in the nation up until this last game Nov. 12 against East Carolina. He is now in second with a 46.84 average, just 0.16 yards shy of the lead. On Nov. 11, Campbell was named one of 10 semifinalists for the award. Campbell said that had it not been for his long snapper, he would not be where he is now.

"It's one of the positions where they are literally perfect the whole year and he's only had one bad snap his whole career here and that was at Texas, and it's just really under radar," Campbell said. "I tell him every day that I appreciate him. He's just such a quality long snapper and he goes under the radar almost."

Head coach Mike Price has also come to appreciate his consistent long snapper and awarded him by making him one of five captains on the team as the lone special teams leader.

"Making me a leader of the team, I didn't really know how to explain how I felt to the team. I was just so happy they elected me to that," Camilli said.

Camilli will step on to the Sun Bowl one last time Nov. 19 with 21 other seniors for senior night against Tulsa. Camilli said the night will be full of emotions for him. Weeks prior, he was already thinking of his last game.

"It's hard to choose which (emotions) I'll be feeling," Camilli said. "I'm sure I'm going to feel sorry because I won't be able to come back next season, but I'm going to be happy at the same time because I've had a good three years starting. It's been a lot of fun and I've had a lot of good opportunities."

William Vega may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.