Seattle Seahawks Gives Former Green Beret Nate Boyer A Chance To Continue His Football Career
34-year-old former University of Texas long snapper Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret, didn’t hear his name among the 256 names that were called during the past three days of the 2015 NFL draft. However, it didn’t take long after the draft to hook him up with a team.
NFL.com reports that Boyer received a call from Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and the team’s general manager John Schneider shortly after the draft concluded. He is one of 12 undrafted free agents the Seahawks have signed.
Seahawks have agreed to terms with 12 undrafted free agents. http://t.co/1EbfqL062b#UDFA pic.twitter.com/PSw93vSkxJ
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 3, 2015
“Yeah, I’ve done things that are more difficult,” Boyer told NFL Network’s Total Access on Saturday. “You can’t really compare the two in a lot of ways, but this is a huge challenge in itself. This is the best athletes in the world. Just to get an opportunity and be able to compete… And I’m playing for a great team in a great city. I couldn’t be anymore thrilled. Just for the chance that’s all you can ask for.”
Boyer, who enrolled at Texas after coming back from a military tour to the Middle East in 2009, never played organized football until he earned a spot as a walk-on with the Longhorns. Boyer played in 39 career games, serving as the No. 1 long snapper on extra-point and field goal attempts the last three seasons according to Texas’ Athletic website. He recorded his only special teams tackle this year versus UCLA.
Boyer has been busy since the end of the college season according to the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Boyer has been in California training — where he has put on 30 pounds –,finishing up his master’s degree and interning at a production company.
“I played at 190 pounds mostly because in the summer time I was deployed, you know,” said Boyer.”So I had to stay at a fighting weight for special forces, it’s just a different job, they’re totally different worlds. So I had to be true to that. Putting weight was a challenge and it’s still a challenge.”
Schneider told the Post Intelligencer that the Seahawks signed Boyer because he is their kind of guy.
“You fall in love through the process with guys, and giving people opportunities for different reasons, all the way through the draft. (Nate) is just a phenomenal person, and he’s a competitor, and he’s tough, and he represents a lot of really, really cool things that quite frankly I think will be good for all of us to be around.”
It will be difficult for Boyer to stick with Seahawks due to his size and age but expect him to battle throughout camp. Sixth-year pro Clint Gresham is the incumbant long snapper.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
