TallySaint

Saints' Houser knows outcome of a game can rest in his hands

Haslett says N.O. deep snapper is among the best in the league

Monday, August 08, 2005
By Benjamin Hochman, Times Picayune

Kevin Houser is on the field about as often as the Saintsations, but the handful of moments he plays are crucial.

Life as a long snapper is fickle, and the Saints' Houser knows that an errant snap could change the course of a game, and a few bad snaps could be career ending. So Houser has embraced his no-glory duty with extreme confidence, backed up by countless hours of preparation.

Teammates call Houser "The Jugs Machine," after the trigger mechanism designed to spit out up to 600 footballs an hour, because he constantly is snapping at practice. His meticulous work ethic is like that of a chef, perfecting his or her craft while experimenting different methods to optimize the final product.

The Superdome, it seems, is Houser's Commander's Palace.

"I think he's the best in the league, and if not, he's in the top two or three," Saints coach Jim Haslett said. "He's always on the money, he's reliable, and he makes tackles on the punt team. For a guy that's not real big (6 feet 2, 252 pounds), he does our short snapping, and he hangs in there pretty good."

Said Saints Pro Bowl punter Mitch Berger: "I wouldn't want to have any other snapper."

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