Being an NFL player has its upsides, like all the money and fame, but it should never be understated how difficult of a job it is. Even just getting a tryout with a team is enormously difficult, so to go from there to actually playing in the league for several years is outstanding. Even the worst NFL player is still one of the best athletes in the world, and that includes one often overlooked position in long snapper. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Christian Kuntz occupies that position, and while long snappers may not get as much fame as some other positions, Kuntz still has a fire and drive that would make anyone root for him.
Kuntz has been with the Steelers since 2020 and is a Pittsburgh-area native, attending Duquesne University for college. Therefore, he might be the Steeler with the most in-depth knowledge and understanding of the fans. After all, he’s living many people’s dream, playing for his hometown team. However, in a recent interview with Athletic Aesthetic, Kuntz revealed that he sees the comments from people claiming he’s only on the team largely for one reason.
“People are out there still saying, ‘He’s from Pittsburgh, and he’s good with the fans and the media. That’s why he has a job, they love him in there.’ That pisses me off,” Kuntz said. “Imagine getting that said. People say that shit, ‘Oh he’s from Pittsburgh, he’s getting this as a favor.’ You think the NFL, you think Mr. [Art] Rooney [II], you think Mike Tomlin, you think Danny Smith are putting everything on the line to hire a kid from Pittsburgh to do a job? They don’t give a shit. They don’t give a shit where you’re from. If I’m not doing my job, I wouldn’t be there.”
That’s certainly an emphatic statement from Kuntz, and with good reason. The NFL isn’t out to create feel-good stories. In fact, the league has probably crushed more dreams than it has made come true. It’s a business, and everyone who has a roster spot earned it through hard work and dedication. Saying Kuntz was given his spot spits in the face of all the time and effort he’s put in.
There might be cases of nepotism in front offices or on coaching staffs, but not when it comes to players, especially a position like long snapper. There are only 32 long snappers in the NFL. It’s not even like quarterback where you could catch on as a backup. Each team only has one, so it’s an extremely hard job to have. Kuntz has even explained that job security for guys like him is almost non-existent.
Being from Pittsburgh, many fans will understand Kuntz’s ire here. The city has a reputation of grit and hard work, and that’s as a result of the people who live there. Kuntz is as blue-collar as the city he comes from. He’s been cut from teams, signed to teams, and even had a quick stint in the XFL before catching on with the Steelers. That wasn’t out of pity, it was out of acknowledgment for how well he honed his craft. Hopefully this motivation continues to drive him because having a good long snapper makes life so much easier on special teams.
