The Jaguars were down a man on Sunday in London after long snapper Ross Matiscik went down on the very first snap. Enter nose tackle DaVon Hamilton, who stepped up and, incredibly, delivered the game-winning field goal snap as time expired. This dude, who’d never done it in a game before and rarely even practiced it, literally had the game in his hands and came through when it mattered most. Talk about stepping into the fire!
Nerves of Steel (or Just Pure Grit)?
When Matiscik got hurt, Hamilton just had to go for it. He did it “pretty well” according to the reports, which is insane considering the circumstances. Imagine being thrust into that role, especially with all eyes on you for the last play of the game, a game-winning kick. Most guys would be absolutely losing it, but Hamilton? He wasn’t that nervous. “It is what it is,” he said. “You’ve got to do a job? Get it done. It worked out.” That’s the kind of blunt, no-nonsense attitude you love to see in clutch moments. He made it happen.
Team Over Everything
Even after a bad snap from Hamilton led to a missed extra point earlier in the game, punter and holder Logan Cooke and kicker Cam Little were fully supportive. They knew what was at stake, and they knew Hamilton was out there giving everything. Hamilton clearly felt that bond, too. “They were so proud,” he said. “Stepping up for your team and helping them win games like this, it’s a big moment. Whatever I can do, I’ll do it to help our team win games.” That’s a true team player, stepping up in an emergency and delivering when it absolutely counted.
So, will DaVon Hamilton be making a permanent career change? Don’t count on it. Despite the heroics, he’s not looking to keep the long snapping gig. “No, I’m fine,” he stated. “Hopefully I don’t have to do it next week and we can move on. But it was fun.” You gotta respect the man for helping his team snatch a win and then immediately wanting to get back to his day job. Let’s see if Matiscik is back next week, because Hamilton’s got the job done, but he’s not exactly volunteering for round two!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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