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The Long Snapper: A Second Chance, a Super Bowl, a Lesson for Life – The Remarkable Biography of a Father, Bible Teacher, and Patriots Player

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Brian Kinchen was a thirty-eight-year-old father of four and seventh-grade Bible teacher whose professional football career had been over for three years when he received the call of a lifetime. The New England Patriots needed him to fill in for their injured long snapper for the remainder of the 2003 season and the playoffs. In the hands of Pulitzer Prize–winner Jeffrey Marx, Brian’s remarkable true story becomes a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit. For all lovers of the game of football, The Long Snapper reveals the grit and glory of America’s favorite sport.

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

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About the author

Jeffrey Marx

16 books7 followers
Jeffrey Marx is the New York Times bestselling author of Season of Life and
The Long Snapper: A Second Chance, a Super Bowl, a Lesson for Life. He is also the recipient of the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. He has also written for numerous publications, including Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Time, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and The Baltimore Sun. Marx lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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5 stars
78 (19%)
4 stars
166 (42%)
3 stars
123 (31%)
2 stars
19 (4%)
1 star
8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
156 reviews
August 24, 2019
Awesome story. Very inspirational. The ending is absolutely epic. I will buy this book for other people because it’s such a great read.
Profile Image for Matthew Cazee.
37 reviews2 followers
September 5, 2023
Engaging look into an incredibly anonymous and critical position during a memorable season.
Profile Image for Mike.
149 reviews
September 25, 2025
Easily the worst book I have ever read. I only kept going because, surely something interesting must happen? It’s a sports book after all. The climax was dude nicking his finger whilst slicing into a dinner roll on the eve of the Super Bowl. Oooohh the drama of whether or not he’ll play through the injury! But we already know he did because the book opened with it! Burn after reading. Negative stars.
Profile Image for kari.
861 reviews
February 1, 2010
I am a football fan, watch as much of it as I can get by with and I enjoyed this book about a player whom I've never thought much about, the person who gets the ball to the kicker or the kicker's holder. We think of the kicker, all the tension of those game winning kicks or game losing misses, but never considered what goes into those kicks.
This is the story of one of those long snappers, Brian Kinchen, who, after being out of the NFL for more than a year, gets offered a job with a team that is hopefully Super Bowl bound.
I enjoyed the book, joining Brian on his journey. I would have liked to have the story fleshed out a bit more, knowing more about what happens behind the scenes of a pro football team, the personalities, egos, etc, but I understand that isn't the focus of the book, which is more of a look at the whole thing froma spiritual perspective.
It is told in a very straight-forward style, not trying to dramatize it, which I think worked very well. The story itself is dramatic enough without adding any flowery language or descriptions to it.
I'd recommend it mostly to those who are football fans or looking for a spiritual story.

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways.

Profile Image for Ashley.
1 review
May 17, 2012
The Long Snapper is an inspiring story about a NFL football player who got a second chance to go to the big leagues. It a story not about the quarterback or a wide recever but a story about a Long Snapper. A football player who doesn’t get a lot of fame unless he messes up. They throw dozens of times during the game but their only fame is when they make a bad throw.

Brian Kinchen... Not a name you know or a name you would think is famous. This book tells you his story. He was a football player who struggled to make it to the NFL. He worked to secure his position as a steady snapper. But in this story is when he is already out of the NFL, after getting a knee injury he was no longer wanted. So he went back home to his wife and kids and taught the bible to his students.

He gets a call, the Patriot need a long snapper. Brian was the man for the job. He gets back into the game. But not without problems. Brian is faced with self doubt and depression. He is under pressure he put on himself. The final goal is the super bowl and the final play is all on his shoulders. If he messes up, the whole team messes up.
Profile Image for Kate.
89 reviews
November 2, 2009
This is the charming story of the 38 yr old retired long snapper who the patriots called on the help win the their 2003 season. Its a heart warming Cinderella like story. The writing is really good especially the descriptions of the football games, which definitely had me gripping the edges of the book. It is a short book, but it can become tedious at times, particularly all the religious talk. Overall its an enjoyable, short read.
Profile Image for Erik.
51 reviews5 followers
August 12, 2009
If you've forgotten the score, do not Google it! Having never watched the game
Marx handled the tension and fear of Brian Kinchen's return to his first love wonderfully. What if there is no Zone? Upside-down QB Kinchen faces a new challenge when his second chance calls: how to sustain a dream while surmounting debilitating anxiety and second guessing.
Profile Image for Rocio.
6 reviews1 follower
November 8, 2009
Now, let me start by saying that I have had bad experiences with nonfiction books in my reading past--the stories were interesting, but the authors were simply not capable of making it interesting enough to hold my attention. That was not the case with this book. Marx's writing was a pleasant surprise that not only kept my attention but my interest as well. Job well done...
11 reviews1 follower
November 5, 2009
The story is told well and can be very captivating at times, particularly his thoughts from the sidelines of the games. Focuses more on his thoughts than his actions, and there's a heavy emphasis on faith/Christianity, which is to be expected from a Bible teacher. A light read, it doesn't leave a strong impression
30 reviews18 followers
October 27, 2009
This is the story of Brian Kinchen, whose football career had been over for three years. Then he was called up to play for the New England Patriot in the 2004 Super Bowl game. This is not just a story about football...it is about life lessons...never giving up, believing in yourself, and always doing your best. Very inspirational book, with a definite religious overtone.
Profile Image for Cindy Minnich.
145 reviews40 followers
Want to read
October 18, 2009
Just grabbed this off the shelf at the library...for some reason it caught my eye. The first pages sold me. Now I just need to find the time to read the other 230 pages...
Profile Image for RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN.
761 reviews13 followers
May 2, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “HE WAS AT THE END OF HIS ROPE… ALL HE COULD RELY ON WAS HIS FAITH.”
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In December 2003 Brian Kitchen had been retired from the NFL for three years. For thirteen years he had been no more than a journeyman player with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers. During the past three years he had even tried out as a free agent and not been signed. He had fully accepted that teaching Bible class to seventh graders at Parkview Baptist Middle School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana… was where G-d wanted him to be. He had a loving wife and four children. If “LEAVE IT TO BEAVER” went to Bible school in Louisiana… he would have been in “Mr. Brian’s” class. On December 15th 2003 Brian gets a call on his cell phone in the middle of his class from Scott Pioli an old acquaintance of his who was now the vice president of player personnel for the New England Patriots. The current Patriot coach is the infamous Bill Belichick… who Brian played for at Cleveland. With only two weeks left in the regular season… the Patriots are without a “long-snapper”. A “long-snapper” is the center who hikes the ball to the quarterback on punts, field goals and extra points. Brian was not a “long-snapper” when he started his professional career… but a quirk in fate allowed him to make himself into a “long-snapper”… and therefore more valuable to his team… and it’s probably the predominant reason he lasted thirteen years in the NFL.

At this point the author flashes back to Brian’s life story which includes his family’s history in football which centered around LSU. His Dad was on LSU ’s first National Championship team… “Brian’s younger brother, Todd, signed with LSU football just as Brian’s Dad’s brother, Gary, had done more than a quarter of a century earlier. When Brian was a fifth-year senior and Todd was a redshirt freshman, they made local sports history. Never before had pairs of brothers from two generations of a Baton rouge family played for the Tigers.” In addition Brian’s Mother was a cheerleader and twice the Darling of LSU… and then Brian married an LSU cheerleader whose squad won a National Championship.

When Brian decides to accept the tryout with the Patriot’s… the reader is given an inside feel as to how expendable… these almost invisible players are… at the position… that if they’re successful… no one will even notice that they were involved in the game. Brian… despite a lackluster tryout… is selected. He at first feels it is a dream come true… but then he starts losing his confidence… and with Belichick all over him as his performance declines… he truly wishes he never got this opportunity. Kinchen actually contemplates QUITTING-THE-TEAM-FOUR-DAYS-BEFORE-THE-SUPER-BOWL! As a non-stop reader of sports books… I can’t ever remember reading a book where the ballplayer… constantly… and completely… admits how nervous… scared… and unconfident… he is… in his chosen profession. Brian says: “I’VE NEVER BEEN MORE NERVOUS IN A FOOTBALL UNIFORM. I WAS SO NERVOUS, I COULD BARELY SNAP THE FOOTBALL. A LOT OF MY SHORT SNAPS WERE ON THE GROUND, AND EVEN MY PUNT SNAPS WERE THAT WAY, TOO. I JUST HAD NO CONFIDENCE GOING INTO THE GAME.” And this is going into the single biggest sporting event in the world!

As the Super Bowl came down to the single defining play… the play that would decide the difference between winning and losing… before the biggest TV audience in the world… Brian felt he knew why he was “deprived of his usual confidence”- “I WAS AT THE END OF MY ROPE, HE WAS LEFT IN A POSITION IN WHICH ALL HE COULD DO WAS RELY ON HIS FAITH. I KNEW THAT I COULD NOT ACCOMPLISH WHAT I HAD TO DO WITHOUT G-D.”… “BECAUSE I HAD NO CLUE WHERE THAT BALL WAS GOING TO GO.”
Profile Image for Jon Den Houter.
253 reviews8 followers
March 18, 2021
The beginning had me completely riveted--why Brian Kinchen answered his cell phone while he was teaching his 7th grade Bible class I don't know--for the story was like a fairy tale come true. A man retired from professional football (having played tight end and long snapper) for three years getting a call that Bill Belichick from the Patriots wanted him to try out?! And this in December 2003, right before the Patriots were going to make an amazing run to the Superbowl (and little did anyone know at the time the Superbowl would come down to the long snapper, the holder, and the kicker)! I couldn't stop reading the book; I couldn't believe this was real.

Then, halfway through, boring reality set in. Brian got the job with the Patriots and was having a great time, though he missed his family back in Louisiana something terrible. But Brian started throwing bad snaps--something he had never done in 13 years of professional football--to the point that some of them flew over the holder's head. Many others of his snaps bounced on the ground well before the holder. After 13 years of flawless snapping, Brian was shocked at his sudden inability to snap the ball consistently. He went quickly into a downward spiral to the point that a few days before the Superbowl, he called the Patriot's front office and asked to be sent home. Whereas some athletes rise to the challenge of big games (I think especially of clutch performer Michael Jordan), some athletes fall apart. Brian was an athlete who falls apart, and though I respect him as a Christian, my respect for him as an athlete plummeted as I read his aroey. Somehow, he threw decent enough snaps during the Superbowl, although many were low. Thankfully, the holder, Ken Walter, was probably the best holder in the league, and he could handle bad snaps. The final snap that Brian threw, the one to win the Superbowl, well I won't give that one away.

The story shows the pressure of performing on the biggest stage. For those who can do it well--and to do it with bravado--that is a rare gift that Brian Kinchen did not have. But Brian's story shows how God can catapult people to the highest levels of society (whether sports, politics, entertainment, etc.) to provide His children a platform to share their testimony about Him. And, Brian Kinchen has used the platform given him as a Superbowl champion to tell many people about his faith in Jesus, and that is something I respect deeply.
Profile Image for Ian Allan.
751 reviews5 followers
December 16, 2024
Workmanlike re-telling of the story of Brian Kinchen, a long snapper who got called up in December by the Patriots about 20 years ago, about two months before they won their second Super Bowl. Kinchen was a seventh-grade math teacher at the time and had been out of the NFL for three years.

Decent story about a guy almost nobody cares about.

Book provides good access to the tryout process (against some other long-snappers), and the growing pressure of not letting the team down in ulta-important games.
1 review
November 3, 2019
This book was good. This book was good because I play football and I can relate to some of the topics in the book. I liked this book because it was really suspenseful. It thought it was suspenseful because during the Superbowl week Brian was having trouble with his snaps. He really wanted to go home and miss the big game. He ended up staying and all of his snaps were good. He was now a Superbowl champion. All in all, this book was good.
Profile Image for Neil Doherty.
541 reviews1 follower
October 26, 2021
1 last chance and a crisis of confidence for Bible school teacher & Retired player Brian Kinchen, who is called back as long snapper for Pattiots in 2003-4. “If you are not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.” p. 243.
229 reviews
February 15, 2021
I read this because our cousin is going to be a Long Snapper at UC next year.
I do not know or like football...but most of the book was great anyway.
Profile Image for Susan Kendrick.
925 reviews15 followers
January 27, 2023
It was good. Very sweet! The writing isn’t stellar but it’s sufficient, and the story itself is pretty cool.
Profile Image for Jackson.
278 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2023
Good book for anyone in high school and below especially if involved in sports. Definitely a kid's book, but I remember it being a pretty good read as a kid. Recommend for the young ones.
Profile Image for Morgs.
21 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2024
summer reading book in high school
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2 reviews
January 16, 2024
Really great book. A strong focus on God and Faith that I was not expecting but very much appreciated.
Profile Image for Seth Ingram.
100 reviews2 followers
November 10, 2024
It’s an amazing story, but I felt like this book could’ve been half as long.
5 reviews
December 10, 2016
Osman Siddiqui
Ms. St. Clair
English 10 College Prep
9 December 2016
The Long Snapper Book Review
After reading The Long Snapper written by Jeffrey Marx during my first semester of English class, I can say that I was expecting to read an extremely boring and dull book due to it being about football which is not my favorite sport, however that was the complete opposite of the reading experience I had. This book had surpass my reading expectations that I had set for this book because the author’s writing style was unique and outside the box. Each time the book had switched locations whether it would be at a classroom or at the New England Patriots football field, the author would always describe it as if I was actually there and I was able to picture it in my mind after reading every single page. This is a unique writing style for any author because out of all the books I have read in my entire life, I have not been able to picture a book that clearly in my head until reading The Long Snapper. I had also enjoyed reading this book more then other books such as The Lords Of Discipline because I was able to read without writing down any annotations and this had helped me understand the plot better then past students who have read this book because I was able to read the book straight through and not stop to write down notes on each page. Other than the author’s writing style, another element that I had enjoyed during my reading experience of the book was that it was known as a happy and cheerful book. The book’s main story was about how a retired football player who had a short career due to injuries had got back to play for a championship team again after many years and he was finally let back in the league. This is known as a good story because it shows how the football player had never given up on his dreams about winning a chance to win a championship in the NFL.
Even though my reading experience for this book was phenomenal due to the author’s writing style and the theme of the book, I had also found many interesting quotes throughout the book while reading it during this semester. One scene in the book that I recall reading that had an interesting line was when the main character Brian Kinchen was talking about purposes and said, “Purposes are a a place to begin. They help us focus our lives and give them direction so our goals do not become an unrelated string of hollow victories. Goals are what we do. Purposes are why we do what we do”(Marx 127). This line said by Brian in the book was interesting and relates to life because without purposes, there is no reason to ever accomplish any of our goals. I think the author of this book Jeffrey Marx included this line in this book because he wanted to teach all young high school students that you should always accomplish your goals and give your full effort in whatever you are doing.
After reading this book during the first semester of 10th grade, I can say that the quote about purposes and goals relates to the essential question about developing values and beliefs. This relates to that specific essential question from our English class because the author Jeffrey Marx is trying to say that whatever goals you have, you need to make sure you have a purpose for that goal so that can motivate you and help you achieve your goal. The author truly believes this statement and he is trying to incorporate it in teenager’s minds so they can develop these values and beliefs about life.
In conclusion, after completing this book, I would recommend this book to all young high schools students that are fascinated with sports. I would recommend this book to that specific age group because this book is fairly easy to read and it talks about the rare position in football known as the snapper. I would not recommend this book to middle school students or lower school students because the vocabulary may be too advanced for that young of an age group. All young high school students would enjoy this book very much because it is a motivating story about a retired snapper in the NFL finally coming back in the league and having a chance to accomplish is one last goal, which is winning the super bowl.

1 review
Read
October 13, 2011
Jeffery Marx is the author of the biography titled The Long Snapper. The book is about the life of a professional football player named Brian Kinchen. Brian comes from a long line of football players in his family. He is a small town boy from Louisiana that is an excellent football player in high school, in college, and makes it into the NFL. He played for thirteen years in the NFL and his team won in the Super Bowl. He finally quit and started teaching seventh grade at a private Baptist middle school. He had been out of the football scene for three years and then he got a call from the NFL to come back. He was thiry eight years old, out of shape, and lacked confidence in his abilities. It is a very inspiring story of one man's love of football and his deep faith in God.
The author does an excellent job of writing about the ups and downs in Brian's life. The author relates how he always relied on this faith to get him through. The theme of The Long Snapper is if you work hard and believe in yourself, you can achieve your goals. I really connected with this book because I have that same love for the game of football and I am a Christian.
This book is a narration of Brian's life. We learn how he found himself back in the NFL after being away from football for three years. The author does an excellenct job of creating suspense with every game he plays. Jeffery Marx really draws in the reader with his inspiring writing style. It is both emotional and spiritual.
I really enjoyed reading The Long Snapper. I would recommend it to my football teammates. It is a good lesson in life. One thing I did not like about the book was the fact that the author was almost too deatiled. There was so many football players names, teams, and dates given that it was sometimes difficult for me to keep all the facts straight. I would not change anything about the book because I think it is a great personal account of a inspiring athlete's life.
10 reviews
May 14, 2014
I think that this book is probably going to be one if not the best book about football that I have ever read.
This book is about this guy named Brian Kinchen who was a teacher. He had once played in the NFL as a long snapper on special teams. Then one day during school he got a call from the New England Patriots wanting him to try out because they have lost their long snapper during the middle of the season. Brain had other try outs but all the other teams went with the younger one instead of the older Brian. When he found out that the Patriots where going to take him he was excited. Brain joined in the middle of a ten game winning streak. In the NFL the kicking game can change a lot and, if the long snapper messes up it could ruin the season. When the Patriots were going to the playoffs Brian was having troubles. He wasn’t just having trouble with snapping but he was having trouble with family too. Brian and the Patriots would eventually make it to the Super Bowl. The night before the big game at the team dinner Brian cuts his thumb with a knife. This was important because it would affect the way he snaps in the game. Low in behold he has to snap for the game winning field goal for the Super Bowl. Despite all of the things he had to overcome he did it and the Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2003.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews

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