Dallas Cowboys' long snapper Ladouceur seeks perfection every time
By: DaveTroll
CP Staff Writer/Analyst/Blogger
Todd Archer
Dallas Morning News
IRVING – Growing up in Montreal, L.P. Ladouceur dreamt of being Mats Naslund or Guy Carbonneau and playing for the Canadiens, not the Cowboys' long snapper.
"But I always liked football," said Ladouceur, with a hint of an accent. "For me growing up, my first experience with football was the Buffalo Bills. My family was big Marv Levy fans. He coached the Alouettes in the '80s, and he won a Grey Cup, so people kept up with Buffalo. I played defensive end, and Bruce Smith was my guy. I really liked watching him play."
But Ladouceur knew he would not make his living as a pass rusher in the NFL, although he did record a sack and a forced fumble in the 2005 preseason with the New Orleans Saints. For Ladouceur to make it in the NFL, it would have to be as a long snapper.
That the Cowboys found him was somewhat fortuitous.
Jon Condo was the Cowboys' long snapper for the first three games of the 2005 season after winning the job in training camp. Once the games turned real, Condo developed a case of the "yips," and Bill Parcells decided he had had enough.
Fortunately, the Cowboys did not have to look far for Condo's replacement.
Facing back-to-back road games against San Francisco and Oakland, the Cowboys decided to spend the week in San Jose for practice. It turned out to be a good thing. Ladouceur, who was cut by New Orleans in training camp, was back at Cal Berkeley, where he went to college. It was only a short drive to San Jose State for a workout with the Cowboys.
"I probably had 10 snaps, 15 snaps, that was it," Ladouceur said. "Right on the spot, they signed me."
Former Cowboys special teams coach Bruce DeHaven made some pre-practice introductions that Wednesday, and Ladouceur has been a staple of the Cowboys' special teams since.
"It's the only job in the NFL that perfection is needed," Ladouceur said. "That's the only one because you want to give a chance to your punter to get the ball off and your kicker to get the kick off. If you don't give them a chance, you don't have a chance."
Mat McBriar said Ladouceur's consistency has helped him become a Pro Bowl punter because he knows the snap is going to be close to perfect every time. Rookie kicker Nick Folk said he does not have to worry about the timing of a field goal attempt.
"There's an art to that position," holder Brad Johnson said. "A lot of teams just keep a tight end to snap. A lot of games are lost at that position. There are two things [Ladouceur] does that are special: It's a catchable ball. Some guys snap it too hard. And he gets the laces almost perfect every time so you don't have to twist the ball."
Ladouceur started snapping in high school in Montreal, but he did not become the full-time snapper at Cal Berkeley until his senior year. He snapped for punts as a junior and added field goals as a senior.
"It's a very similar motion, I think, to throwing a soccer ball," Ladouceur said. "I played soccer, so I just put my two hands on it and it's the same motion as when you're below, I guess. I've gotten better at it with the years."
Ladouceur's so good that his job often goes without notice, which is OK with him.
"We notice it," coach Wade Phillips said. "With all those plays, it's certainly very important to get a good snap. He's the only player that doesn't make any mistakes and can't afford to make any, really. That's hard to do in this game."
CP Staff Writer/Analyst/Blogger
Todd Archer
Dallas Morning News
IRVING – Growing up in Montreal, L.P. Ladouceur dreamt of being Mats Naslund or Guy Carbonneau and playing for the Canadiens, not the Cowboys' long snapper.
"But I always liked football," said Ladouceur, with a hint of an accent. "For me growing up, my first experience with football was the Buffalo Bills. My family was big Marv Levy fans. He coached the Alouettes in the '80s, and he won a Grey Cup, so people kept up with Buffalo. I played defensive end, and Bruce Smith was my guy. I really liked watching him play."
But Ladouceur knew he would not make his living as a pass rusher in the NFL, although he did record a sack and a forced fumble in the 2005 preseason with the New Orleans Saints. For Ladouceur to make it in the NFL, it would have to be as a long snapper.
That the Cowboys found him was somewhat fortuitous.
Jon Condo was the Cowboys' long snapper for the first three games of the 2005 season after winning the job in training camp. Once the games turned real, Condo developed a case of the "yips," and Bill Parcells decided he had had enough.
Fortunately, the Cowboys did not have to look far for Condo's replacement.
Facing back-to-back road games against San Francisco and Oakland, the Cowboys decided to spend the week in San Jose for practice. It turned out to be a good thing. Ladouceur, who was cut by New Orleans in training camp, was back at Cal Berkeley, where he went to college. It was only a short drive to San Jose State for a workout with the Cowboys.
"I probably had 10 snaps, 15 snaps, that was it," Ladouceur said. "Right on the spot, they signed me."
Former Cowboys special teams coach Bruce DeHaven made some pre-practice introductions that Wednesday, and Ladouceur has been a staple of the Cowboys' special teams since.
"It's the only job in the NFL that perfection is needed," Ladouceur said. "That's the only one because you want to give a chance to your punter to get the ball off and your kicker to get the kick off. If you don't give them a chance, you don't have a chance."
Mat McBriar said Ladouceur's consistency has helped him become a Pro Bowl punter because he knows the snap is going to be close to perfect every time. Rookie kicker Nick Folk said he does not have to worry about the timing of a field goal attempt.
"There's an art to that position," holder Brad Johnson said. "A lot of teams just keep a tight end to snap. A lot of games are lost at that position. There are two things [Ladouceur] does that are special: It's a catchable ball. Some guys snap it too hard. And he gets the laces almost perfect every time so you don't have to twist the ball."
Ladouceur started snapping in high school in Montreal, but he did not become the full-time snapper at Cal Berkeley until his senior year. He snapped for punts as a junior and added field goals as a senior.
"It's a very similar motion, I think, to throwing a soccer ball," Ladouceur said. "I played soccer, so I just put my two hands on it and it's the same motion as when you're below, I guess. I've gotten better at it with the years."
Ladouceur's so good that his job often goes without notice, which is OK with him.
"We notice it," coach Wade Phillips said. "With all those plays, it's certainly very important to get a good snap. He's the only player that doesn't make any mistakes and can't afford to make any, really. That's hard to do in this game."
posted by The Gryphon at 4:32 PM
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