Wake Forest Athletics
2006 Wake Forest Preseason Football Report #7
8/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 14, 2006
Today's Practice (#7): Full pads during the morning practice; shells for the evening practice. Today was the team's first day of two-a-day practices. The Deacs will also hold two-a-days on Wednesday and Friday of this week.
Weather: 82 degrees and sunny.
Big Plays: During full team drills in the morning, QB Benjamin Mauk completed a 70-yard, catch-and-run touchdown pass to WR Kenneth Moore ... DE Antonio Wilson intercepted a Brett Hodges pass and returned it for a touchdown ... Mauk hooked up with WR Nate Morton for a 65-yard, catch-and-run completion down the right sideline ... CB Alphonso Smith came through the right side to block a Sam Swank field goal attempt.
Snapshot: Long snapper Nick Jarvis isn't looking to make any SportsCenter highlight reels anytime soon. Jarvis, like every other long snapper in the country, is just trying to be as anonymous as possible.
"There's a quote us long-snappers live by: `Fly under the radar,'" said Jarvis. "As long as you never see me I've done my job.
"When I got ready to come to college, my great-grandma asked me if she would see me on ESPN. I told her that if she did, it meant I messed up."
Luckily for Jarvis, the Big Show has yet to call his name. The Lexington, N.C., native has perhaps been the most unheralded reason for former Demon Deacons punter Ryan Plackemeier's success each of the past two seasons.
While Jarvis' steady snap helped Plackemeier to the Ray Guy Award last season, he has a new task ahead of him this fall. Jarvis must break in a pair of punters, kicker Sam Swank and true freshman Dan Caldwell, competing for the starting job in 2006.
"The only change is I put a little more pressure on myself to make a good snap every single time, so they don't have to worry about the snap part of the punt process," said Jarvis of his adjustments this fall. "They're trying to learn themselves, so I have to make it as easy as possible on them."
Injury Report: DE Matt Robinson (knee) was the only player not practicing today.
Next Practice: Tuesday, 3 p.m. on campus.
