With 30 seconds remaining in Oregon’s showdown with Ohio State, Ducks punter Tom Snee took a long snap from his own 45-yard line and bombed a football that bounced to the other side of the field off the Ohio State 4-yard line to the 10-yard line.
It was his second time pinning the Buckeyes within their 10-yard line in the game. But, this time, it was to seal off a 35-28 upset victory.
“I always had that game circled on my calendar since the non-conference games were released a few years ago,” Snee said. “It was surreal.”
In one of the biggest games in school history with a packed crowd in Columbus, Snee, the Aussie who hadn’t played American football until three years before, came up huge. He is one of the latest talents from down under to showcase his skills on the gridiron.
Australia is one of 80 countries to offer some form of football to a variety of ages. There are currently six Aussies in the NFL and dozens more that have already played. With soccer and rugby being two of Australia’s three most-watched sports, the country has had a knack for producing loads of kicking talent in recent years.
Snee could be next up.
Since moving to America three years ago, he’s been forced to change his mannerisms, day-to-day routines, ways of communications and driving techniques. Snee credits his teammates for making the transition easier.
“When I came here, we had an old specialist room, and they all took me under their wing and showed me the ropes,” Snee said. “I had to get used to a bunch of small things that everyone takes for granted.”
But none of these “small things” can top what Snee learned both on and off the field. He continues to live every day to the fullest knowing it can all be taken away.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Snee was originally discovered by Oregon representatives for his domination on the “footy” field.
Australian rules football, or “footy” to be short, is a contact sport that’s slowly become one of the country’s pastimes. The game is played with two teams of 18 players on an oval field with the goal of scoring on the other team’s side through backward pitches, running and kicks.
The sport combines rugby and soccer to create a game as physically and athletically demanding as possible. For Snee, it came easily.
His tremendous play on the pitch gave him a spot on Prokick Australia, a program aimed at getting Aussies in the NCAA and eventually the NFL. Current San Francisco 49er Mitch Wishnowsky and current USC Trojan Ben Griffiths highlight some of the more well-known alumni.
Snee’s recruiting process was anything but normal. He met with head coach Mario Cristobal and other coaches over Skype in March 2018 and committed to the school just months later in July when he saw the facilities for the first time.
Snee burst out of the gate in a big way, winning the starting punting job as a freshman in 2018. He averaged 35.2 yards per punt in his 10 games with only one punt surpassing 50 yards.
Then in 2019, Snee learned the brutalities of a collegiate sport. He was redshirted while the Ducks opted for a more experienced punter, Blake Maimone. Determined to never lose the job again, Snee put his head down and committed to the work.
“I grew quick here as a freshman in 2018, but these past few years in America have seen me develop a lot,” Snee said. “I’ve become more mature and had to look at things from a different perspective which is never a bad thing.”
In the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Snee bounced back. Of his 25 punts, 11 of them pinned opponents within the 20-yard line, including four against UCLA. He also increased his average yards per punt by 8 yards and notched his career-high with a 53-yard punt.
As stellar a season as it was for Snee, it was just as bittersweet.
With a pandemic infiltrating throughout the globe, Snee was unable to return to Australia. In fact, he hasn’t been back home in two years. He took advantage of this time to explore the rest of America, but his heart always belonged somewhere else.
“Just don’t take anything for granted,” Snee said when asked what he’s learned as a Duck. “As hard as it is not being able to go home, I’m still grateful for having those experiences.”
Now a redshirt sophomore, Snee has taken advantage of every opportunity.
Through four games this year, Snee has already punted five balls over 50 yards and topped his career-high with a 56-yard punt against Fresno State. He’s also pinned his opponent within the 20-yard line nine times, becoming a major special teams weapon for the Ducks.
“Boy he’s hitting the ball really well,” special teams coach Bobby Williams said. “He’s spending a considerable amount of time in the weight room, and he’s really developed physically since coming here.”
Breaking his own personal records by the game, Snee could be poised for an explosive 2021 campaign. He’s already in early talks for the Ray Guy Award, a trophy given to the NCAA’s most outstanding punter. But, win or lose, his aspirations of joining his fellow Aussies in the NFL will always be the goal.
