Getty Scott Daly playing with San Diego in the AAF in 2019.
The Detroit Lions made the move to release Don Muhlbach this week, and at this point, the team only has one long snapper on the roster in Scott Daly.
With this in mind, Daly would seem to be the leader in the clubhouse to take over a job that has been occupied since 2004. It’s almost impossible to imagine that in a league rife with turnover the Lions have not had a different snapper over the span of 17 years, but that has been the case thanks to Muhlbach’s play and a credit to his professionalism.
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All of that will change now, and Daly is the first combatant that will get a chance to lock down the job. At this point, that seems to be his one and only focus, even as it seems like the Lions could be prepared to simply go with him when the season begins.
Speaking to the media after practice on Thursday, August 19, Daly explained that in spite of a potentially big development for his career this week, he is not treating things any differently.
“I’m just trying to keep it the same like every other week. Keep my head down, work as hard as I can,” Daly said after practice on Thursday. “I love Don (Muhlbach), Don’s been an amazing teammate, great friend and great mentor. I’ve been really fortunate in my career to work with the best. Whether it’s been Patrick Mannelly with the Bears, L.P. (Ladouceur) with Dallas. I can say confidently that Don is one of the best to ever do it. I am truly grateful for him and I am just trying to keep my head down and get better every day because I know I have to earn this. Just trying to treat it like any other day and do my best.”
As with most players on special teams, Daly has had a wild and winding road lead him to Detroit which led him not only through NFL cities but stops in other leagues as well. Still, he wouldn’t change a thing, nor is he taking anything for granted related to where he’s at right now.
“I just try to be grateful for wherever I am at and take advantage of each and every day. I’ve had a very crazy journey. No specialist’s journey is the same. So I just try to take it for what it is,” Daly told the media. “I’m very grateful for every spot I’ve been to. I’ve been able to grow and learn from each and every destination I’ve been to. From there, just try to get better each and every day, grow from each experience, and just have faith and perseverance, keep my head down and give the very best each and every day.”
With a mindset like that, it would not be a shock if he could be a success with the Lions and grab the job that is being offered to him.
Scott Daly Reveals Don Muhlbach’s Best Advice
In the snapping world, it’s clear players consider Muhlbach to be more than a bit of a sage considering his age and experience level. Daly got a chance to work with Muhlbach briefly in Detroit, and as he explained, the veteran snapper was able to lend him some excellent advice that could help with his transition in the league.
“The biggest thing he said is to find your routine, find what works for you,” Daly explained. “Everyone’s different, everyone has their own things and routine and overall things that just work for them. Just be you, get better each and every day,” Daly said. “To be able to have Don and to be able to work with him each and every day, I’ve been very grateful and I just wish him nothing but the best.”
While that might be a small lesson, it could be an important one for Daly. Getting to watch how Muhlbach carries himself as a player and professional up close could also help. With this in mind, Daly could be the right man at the right time for the Lions to continue the snapping stability that has been the norm in Detroit.
Daly’s Stats and Highlights
Anyone who doesn’t know a lot about Daly at this point can be forgiven given his relative obscurity, and it’s true that he hasn’t had an expansive career in the league. It’s tough to break into the NFL as a snapper, and Daly, out of Notre Dame in 2017, was in camp with the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 and played a few years in the AAF and XFL before being signed by the Lions this past May. He hasn’t had a ton of chances to make his way in the league legitimately, but he’s earned a golden opportunity to land a job in Detroit right now.
So how does Daly look when he’s doing his craft? That’s hard to say given limited action, but an interesting video surfaced of a training session he had:
If Daly can keep improving, apply what Muhlbach and others have taught him and find a way to consistently put down clean snaps, he could find a way to stick in the league.
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