The Jacksonville Jaguars are relying at a backup at a key position on Sunday in London against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s just not generally a position that gets a lot of attention: It’s long snapper, and it’s DaVon Hamilton playing it.
Hamilton isn’t an offensive lineman, though, which is a rare reality for a player that does the snapping.
During the NFL Network broadcast on Sunday, Hamilton is getting some extra attention, because one of the color commentators is former star center Jason Kelce, so he knows how to appreciate that role.
So here’s some more to know about Hamilton.
Who is DaVon Hamilton?
Hamilton is a 29-year old defensive tackle for the Jaguars.
He measures at 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds.
Hamilton is originally from the Columbus area, where he attended Pickerington Central High School.
He was committed to Kentucky first but eventually flipped and stayed close to home at Ohio State.
Hamilton played 54 games in his Buckeyes career. He recorded 66 tackles at OSU with seven sacks.
He’s the type of nose tackle who isn’t out there to make tackles himself but instead to clear space for his teammates.
The Jaguars picked Hamilton in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft at the No. 73 overall pick.
Hamilton entered Sunday having played 90 games for the Jaguars with 256 tackles and 6.0 sacks. He had 62 tackles in 2024, a career-best.
Why is DaVon Hamilton Long Snapping?
Hamilton is apparently the backup long snapper for the Jaguars.
The Jaguars’ first-string long snapper is Ross Matscik, but the NFL Network broadcast informed viewers that he was hurting, so that’s why Hamilton is in.
It’s not a position that teams have a traditional backup at. They basically figure out which guy on their roster has the ability to some extent. They rarely work on it, so it can be a tough thing to do in a pinch.
Hamilton clearly came into this game knowing that he’d have this role, which helps, but there surely had to be some nerves.
He was a bit high on his first extra point snap, but his early punt snaps were better, so that had to make him feel a little more comfortable.
Who is DaVon Hamilton? Why Jaguars’ DT is Playing Long Snapper, Getting NFL Attention