How an NFL player has helped current Missouri long snapper Jake Hoffman on his craft

Andy Hill hasn’t taken a bad trip to Kearney High School.

Roughly 10 years ago, Hill, Missouri’s special teams coach and primary recruiter in the Kansas City metropolitan area, visited the school for long snapper Beau Brinkley, who is now entering his eighth NFL season with the Tennessee Titans.

Five years ago, he went to visit linebacker Cale Garrett, who was then committed to Navy, but flipped to Missouri after a late offer. He’s now MU’s most important player on defense and an all-conference selection.

Hill’s most recent trip to Kearney was for Jake Hoffman, the Tigers’ starting long snapper, who will make his college debut on Saturday at Wyoming in Mizzou’s season opener. Hill is hoping Hoffman is part of an improved special teams unit that MU got little out of in 2018.

Originally a standout wide receiver who was courting Division II offers along with one from Missouri State, Hoffman explored long snapping at the urging of his high school coaches.

He began working out with Brinkley, who regularly passes through Kearney in the offseason and was one of MU’s most successful special-teams players.

Coached in middle school by Hoffman’s father, Mike, Brinkley has given Jake Hoffman pointers whenever he can, whether they’re working out in Kearney or Columbia. On Saturday, Hoffman will see if Brinkley’s teachings have paid off.

Hoffman credits Brinkley for changing his pre-snap grip on the ball, which makes his delivery to punter Tucker McCann more accurate and smooth.

“I tried to tell him it’s just like trying to throw a football overhead, except you’re upside down,” Brinkley told The Star. “We’ve tried different hand placements, because it’s tough to do when everyone has their own preferences. What works for me might not work for him.”

Brinkley said long snapping is a part of football that has less fundamentals than most, because hand size and scheme can lead to various degrees of success.

Hoffman takes over at long snapper after MU rotated between Drew Wise and Jake Workman in 2018 amid snapping troubles. MU’s special teams ranked among the nation’s worst units in 2018, when Hill struggled to get any extra yards in punt or kick returns and saw most plays end in a fair catch. On Tuesday, head coach Barry Odom listed four kick returners and two punt returners on MU’s first depth chart of the season and said the number of returners MU will use will vary by game and who is producing.

Both Hill and Hoffman are optimistic of MU’s chance of a turnaround on special teams. Hoffman said there’s been a sense of urgency at the position.

“I think we’re approaching every practice like a game,” he said. “We’re treating every practice rep like a game rep. So we’ll be more prepared going into a game now.”

Brinkley plans to check in on Hoffman and MU during the season when the Tigers play Vanderbilt on Oct. 19 in Nashville and credits Hill for getting Hoffman’s body in better shape to handle the position.

“He’s had some good tutelage,” Hill said. “If he’s like Beau we’ll be in good shape.”