Rare athleticism for position gives Hogan Hatten shot to win Lions' long snapper job
Allen Park — When I asked Hogan Hatten if he had a few minutes to talk after Sunday’s practice, the Detroit Lions rookie was caught off guard. That’s understandable. Most fans and media members don’t spend much time thinking about the long snapper position.
I’ve long joked the position merits one story per year, but in 2023, I squeezed out two for the Detroit News. The first was on Scott Daly meeting the challenges put forth by the team’s coaching staff, while another covered Jake McQuaide providing a top-tier fallback option when Daly suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Both Daly and McQuaide have been great to work with, it’s simply reality the only time people typically talk about their position is when something goes jarringly wrong — a low snap causing a missed field goal or one that sails over the punter’s head. Otherwise, respectfully, they’re background figures on Sundays, lost in the sea of runs, passes, tackles and turnovers.
Daly returns as an incumbent for the second consecutive offseason. Around these parts, he’s best known for being the man to unseat the legendary Don Muhlbach for the job in 2021. And, as mentioned with the article from last offseason, the Lions have been pleased with the job Daly has done. That said, the team tries to bring in competition for nearly every roster spot and Hatten is more intriguing than most.
It starts with his athleticism, rooted in genetics. He’s the son of two former basketball players. His mom played Division-I, his dad overseas. His uncle even briefly played in the NBA for the Clippers.
This football thing is a relatively new offshoot for the family. And it’s not just Hogan. His identical twin brother, Hayden, is currently on the Seahawks training camp roster as a receiver.
But sticking with Hogan, if you’re familiar with Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic Score, RAS for short, it compares the athletic traits of college prospects based on their measurements recorded during the scouting combine and pro days. On a scale of 10, Hatten scored a 9.89 as a long snapper.
That makes him a unique weapon on special teams. Not only is he able to snap the ball on punts, he’s able to contribute in coverage of the kick.
“That’s a real competition,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “One of the reasons we wanted to bring Hogan in was, he was intriguing in his coverage ability. He did play linebacker in college, so he runs pretty good, and he kind of has an awareness on the football. You saw he played some defensive snaps for us, a couple. We needed him in there with where we were at at linebacker to finish the game out. So, that’s what he’s got.”
That ability showed up in the preseason opener, when Hatten was in on the tackle the first punt of the game, and he slowed up the returner a couple punts later, allowing his teammates to rally to the ball.
“That is something I know is a big advantage for me, knowing I can help out in the coverage aspect,” Hatten said. “I know I'm going to be one of the more athletic long snappers in this league, especially my straight speed. And I still weigh 245 pounds, so I can hold my own (against blockers).”
Like many long snappers, playing the position wasn’t Hatten’s dream. He was recruited as a three-star linebacker and hid his long-snapping ability from prospective colleges. But when Idaho’s starting long snapper struggled in the season opener against Penn State during Hatten’s freshman year, sending the coaching staff scrambling for an alternative, he realized it offered the quickest path to playing time. He went on to do it the next 53 games.
“I just did that so I can get on the plane,” Hatten said.
He readily admits he didn’t take snapping seriously until 11 months ago. That’s when he realized, just like the skill was his path to early playing time for the Vandals, it was also his best chance to play professionally. For the first time, he went to a camp dedicated to long snapping, determined to learn the ins and outs of the position, particularly the nuances at blocking. That, along with his impressive athletic profile, earned him this opportunity in Detroit.
On Thursday night, I spotted Hatten’s family in the stands of MetLife stadium, each wearing his No. 49 jersey. It’s an underrated aspect of the preseason; seeing families celebrating their child realizing a dream, even if it never gets beyond the preseason games. For the Hattens, they got to do it twice, flying to Los Angeles for Hayden’s preseason debut two days later.
It’s fitting support from parents who never missed a single one of the twins 50-plus games at Idaho, traveling there and to road games across the country from their home in Arizona.
“The thing I'll say about my parents, I have some of the best, most-caring parents in the entire world,” Hatten said. “They've pushed me and my brother to get here. …I really appreciate the work ethic and drive they have and it kind of inspired me and my brother to put our best foot forward to chase our dreams.”
Campbell said the next step for Hatten is to prove he can handle the big moments, executing a snap under pressure, in front of bigger crowds and with higher stakes than he experienced playing at Idaho.
And Hatten understands the only thing he can control is his own execution. He’s not wasting any energy comparing himself to Daly. That’s the job of the team’s decision-makers.
“At the end of the day, I'm just trying to get better,” Hatten said. “I'm not really concerned with the competition aspect. It's a me battle and I know Scott feels the same way. We're both just trying to do the best we can and we're trying to prove something to ourselves.
“At the end of the day, there's only 32 bones in this world and a whole lot of dogs.”
Holy smokes that quote at the end is ELITE
Great article. The type that makes me happy to pay for your feed. Cheers