Glendora High School football plater Damon Johnson has a lot to look forward to come this January.
When not studying or competing with his teammates, Johnson, 16, works day after day on perfecting his accuracy, which is everything for a long snapper. Consistency is a coveted goal.
"Anyone can throw a football 15 yards but can you do it upside down and backwards? It's a lot harder," Johnson said. "It's a really hard position to play, but once you get it you can just go far with it."
His work has paid off. Johnson is ranked No. 1 in the state and is also ranked No. 2 in the nation for long snapping, both in the 2016 class. He is also a two-time winner of the Subway Varsity Player of the Week award.
Johnson acquired his rankings as he participated in various camps and clinics taught by Chris Rubio, former UCLA long snapper from the 1990s.
Rubio is a private football coach and holds many long snapping camps across the country where players from the high school, junior college and four-year universities can attend.
Participants are ranked according to the speed of the ball, the accuracy of the ball, consistency, player size and athleticism.
Johnson started attending Rubio's camps about a year ago. Rubio saw immediate improvement in Johnson's accuracy and confidence.
"I think it was the confidence factor. Now his form is good, he's growing, his body is becoming, bigger, stronger and faster. Now he's snapping like he knows he should dominate. And that's what I want," Rubio said.
The long snapper specializes in snapping the ball about 15 yards to the punter during a 4th down, or snaps it to the holder during a field goal, or a point after touchdown about 8 yards away.
Johnson performs with the elite high school players from across the country at Rubio's camps. Johnson particularly enjoys competing against the best high school long snappers.
Johnson is perfecting his snap, aiming for a target similar to the one to be used in the holy grail of Rubio's camps, the National Kicking and Snapping event held in Las Vegas, January 18 and 19, 2014.
"The biggest accomplishment for a long snapper is to go to Vegas with Rubio. I set about 30 minutes a day snapping into the target to practice for Vegas," Johnson said.
A Los Angeles Times article from August 2013, which mention's Johnson as a top performer at Rubio's camps, spoke of the long snapper position and how it's starting to see respect after years of being underappreciated.
"It's being more respected. I've seen that it's more escalated as more of a position to play," Johnson said.
The young player would love to continue his career as a long snapper into college, with the University of Oregon as his number one choice, but any school is the southwest would be ideal, Johnson said.
Rubio sees a determination in Johnson as a long snapper.
"I know he's going to be a great snapper, it's just a matter of how great a snap it will be," Rubio said.
