On Saturday, January 9th, the 2020 Patrick Mannelly Award ceremony was livestreamed from Bernie’s Book Bank in Lake Bluff.
The Patrick Mannelly Award, presented by William Blair, is named after former Chicago Bears Long Snapper Patrick Mannelly. Mannelly is widely regarded as the best Long Snapper in the NFL. Founded in 2019 by Kevin Gold, Patrick Mannelly and Chris Rubio, this award gives rare recognition to Long Snappers at the collegiate level.
The esteemed award committee selected three finalists: Thomas Fletcher from University of Alabama, Damon Johnson from University of Southern California and Ryan Langan from Georgia Southern University. The finalists were judged based on their snap speed, accuracy, consistency, mental approach, athleticism, size and coverage skills.
In order to keep the ceremony as safe as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, each finalist joined virtually and had the opportunity to be interviewed by David Kaplan.
The event culminated with the announcement of the Patrick Mannelly Award winner: Thomas Fletcher. Fletcher hails from Bradenton, Florida. The 6’ 2” senior has started every game of his Alabama career. He has a perfect snapping record across four seasons.
Fletcher shared his sincere gratitude for this acknowledgment, “I’ll forever be honored to be the recipient of this prestigious award.”
He also expressed his appreciation for the role Bernie’s Book Bank plays as beneficiary of the Patrick Mannelly Award, “I could not think of a better way to present this award than for it to be accompanied by the promotion of literacy.”
Following winning the Patrick Mannelly Award, Fletcher went on to win the College Football National Championship on Tuesday evening alongside his Crimson Tide teammates. Alabama’s dominant 52-24 win over Ohio State secured their 18th national title history.
View the gallery below for photos from the 2020 Patrick Mannelly Award –
