Selman perfect as Alabama's long snapper

By Michael Casagrande, Decatur Daily

TUSCALOOSA -- The umpire heard a few too many notes of Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochee" when he shot the death stare in Brian Selman's direction.

Alabama's Ross Wilson was ready to step into the batter's box at the 2009 SEC baseball tournament when someone forgot to cut the music. As a hired hand assigned to help a nervous public address announcer that afternoon, Selman took the heat.

"I just let the music go," he said laughing.

That kind of slip-up is not common in Selman's other job. In fact, he's been perfect.

Entering his third-year as the Crimson Tide's long snapper, the senior from Vestavia Hills has successfully executed all 262 snapping opportunities. That's 126 punts, 83 extra points and 53 field goals without a botched attempt.

The act of firing the ball between his legs in the highly specialized but mostly forgotten skill always comes back to the mental approach. That process never changes.

"Whether you're doing it with your friends in a hallway or in front of 90,000 people, it has to be the same every time," Selman said. "You have to have confidence in your ability and what you're capable of."

For anybody who builds a career around delivering a perfect ball to a holder or punter, there are nightmare scenarios. The story of Trey Junkin is hard to ignore.

The former Louisiana Tech player was nearing the end of his 19-year NFL career when his bungled snap in the closing seconds of a 2002 playoff game cost the New York Giants their season.

"I try not to think about that kind of stuff," Selman said. "All the clutter that comes from stuff like that is not going to do anything to help me. I just try to think about executing and I think we do a good job at that."

The path Selman took to become a three-year starter at Alabama was not a common one. He didn't start at Class 6A power Vestavia Hills until his senior year, and that was only at long snapper. As the backup center, Selman played behind Jake Seitz who went on to play at UAB.

Extra time after lunch as a high school senior gave Selman bonus practice time. They lifted weights and practiced a few snaps to the point where Selman was thinking about taking his skill to the next level.

"I decided if I put that much work into it, I should at least give it a run," he said.

Only nobody was recruiting him.

So he asked for a walk-on audition with the Tide.

"I had a good tryout," Selman said "And I've been around ever since."

Having a good friend as a target also helps complete the formula of a successful long snap. Punter and holder P.J. Fitzgerald receives every Selman launch and spends extra time with him in class. The two have already completed sport management undergrads and both are pursuing master's degrees in the field.

"This is my fifth year with him," Fitzgerald said. "So there's definitely chemistry with him. And that really helps (kicker) Leigh (Tiffin) out because he trusts us."

Now that he's less than a year away from completing his master's degree, Selman is on the hunt for work. While working at the SEC baseball tournament, he had a chance meeting with Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and he has several contacts in the New York Yankees front office.

Yet he still mailed out 234 cover letters to Major League Baseball organizations last week seeking an internship.

Likely not included in those letters _ his turn as deejay in Hoover's Regions Park.