Los Angeles Rams Long Snapper & Paloma Valley Grad Heads To Super Bowl LVI

MENIFEE, CA — One simple question, "have you ever long snapped?" changed the course of Matt Orzech's career.

The long snapper for the Los Angeles Rams once took to the turf of the Paloma Valley Wildcats football stadium in Menifee and now, heads to the Super Bowl LVI.

This once baseball and football player's view of the game is upside down and backward, according to his father in a recent NBCLA report. In his NFL career, Orzech has played for the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and the Tennessee Titans, before joining the LA Rams in 2021.

During the 2022 NFC Championship game vs. the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams and 49ers were tied 17-17 in the 4th quarter. Orzech sent a perfect spiral to the kicker, Matt Gay, who placed what ended up being the game-winning field goal, sealing their journey to the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

Ozrech's father shared with NBCLA's Tony Shin how his son became a long snapper rather than tight end, when he played at Azusa Pacific University.

The Azusa coach needed a long snapper and knew that Matt Orzech also played on the Division 2 school's baseball team as a pitcher. He put two and two together, asking that pointed question if he would give long snapping a try.

It took some work to perfect the position, as Orzech's father explained to Shin. "The first punt snap attempt "sailed over the punter's head."

That position enabled him to take his game all the way to the NFL and now to football's biggest stage.

Read the whole report.