When everything appears upside down, that’s when John Wirtel is at his best.
Since his days with the Orland Park Pioneers youth football program as a fifth-grader, Wirtel has developed and honed a special skill that has allowed him to play at the University of Kansas.
Over the last decade, thanks to his own strong work ethic and dedication and some integral teaching from his coaches, Wirtel has developed into a Division I long snapper.
“My dad was the special-teams coordinator (with the Pioneers) and he had me start with (long snapping),” Wirtel said. “It stuck from there. I continued to work with that and luckily, it got me to where I am today.
“I’ve been doing this a long time. I didn’t know much when I first started, but it’s a unique talent. I love doing it and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
To prepare himself prior to games, the 2013 Mount Carmel graduate begins by playing catch, followed by straight-leg snaps that assume a progression from eight yards to 10 yards to 12 yards to 14 yards away from the punter.
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Once the game begins, the Orland Park resident and member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s and KU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll makes sure that he pays strict attention to everything taking place on the field.
“The first thing (that makes a good long-snapper) is your mentality,” Wirtel said. “It’s not like you’re the quarterback and you’re constantly involved in the game. We have one play in maybe five or six minutes and you have to be ready when your number is called.
“The Big 12 is a fast conference and you have to have athleticism and you have to be able to get downfield. You have to snap the ball 14 yards and put it on the punter’s hip. You also have to block a linebacker who’s faster than you and bigger than you.”
Wirtel is entering his third season as the Jayhawks’ long snapper on punts. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior also is competing for the duties of snapping on field goals and extra points this season.
Along with his long-snapping skills, Wirtel also has six tackles and a fumble recovery in the last two seasons for the Jayhawks.
“My strengths are the velocity on my snaps and my coverage ability,” Wirtel said. “Those are the two things that have helped me excel the most. My field awareness and my speed help make me a good coverage guy. I got my speed from my mom and just being able to run.
“I have a routine that I do when they call (for the) punt team on the sideline. I do certain things before I go out there and that gets me comfortable when I go out there. It gets my mind right. Having a routine and process is huge ….”
NACC softball honors: Five Southland residents received postseason accolades from the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in women’s softball.
Named to the All-NACC first team were Concordia Chicago sophomore third baseman Michele Alexander (Andrew), Benedictine junior outfielder Melissa Stoch (Lockport) and Lakeland freshman utility player Bella Wilkinson (Marist).
Alexander batted .351 with three home runs, 16 RBIs and 21 runs scored. Stoch hit .435 with two home runs, seven doubles and 26 RBIs. Wilkinson batted .439 with seven doubles, three triples, 13 runs and 14 RBIs.
Chosen to the All-NACC second team were Concordia Wisconsin junior pitcher Melissa Perkins (Illinois Math & Science) and Dominican sophomore outfielder Ashley Rea (Lockport).
Perkins, a Park Forest resident, had a 16-8 record with 15 complete games, two saves and an ERA of 3.11. Rea hit .395 with 28 runs and 19 stolen bases.
Here’s Johnny: Oak Forest graduate Johnny Zubek was one of three Northern Illinois University baseball players named to the Mid-American Conference’s 2015 Academic All-MAC Team.
Zubek, a junior catcher/outfielder, has a 3.97 GPA. He led the Huskies in home runs (4) and runs (33) this season.
Mike Walsh is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.