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PINEVILLE, La. – When the Louisiana College football takes the field for its final game of 2011 this Saturday, it will mark the last time the Wildcats will enjoy the services of 12 seniors. Among that group will be the school's best-kept secret.

Senior tight end Jesse Browder (Denison, Texas/Denison HS) rarely sees his name on the score sheet aside from the listing of game participants. He's never been credited with a start and his career receiving numbers are 14 catches for 150 yards over four years.

Yet, Browder has been a mainstay in the LC lineup since his freshman year. And with exception of senior wide receiver Darnell Williams, a player who's attracted scouts from 23 NFL teams, Browder has the second-best chance of all the senior Wildcats to continue his playing career post Louisiana College.

Browder, at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, is the Wildcats' long snapper … and a great one.

“He's the best long snapper I've ever seen,” Louisiana College coach Dennis Dunn said. “And he's the best our kicking coach Jack Carlisle has ever seen. I've done this for more than 25 years. Jack is in his 61st year in coaching. We both believe that Jesse is a gifted player with the talent to play on the professional level.

“We hope that he gets a chance to use those gifts when he finishes with Louisiana College. The key will be getting him into someone's camp. If he can get the opportunity, I believe he will take advantage of it.”

Browder, along with Williams, has participated in a series of pro day exhibitions and tested out favorably compared to the best long snappers in the nation.

“I've talked to a lot of professional teams from different levels about snapping,” Browder said. “It's definitely something I want to do, something I look forward to. I want to see I can get myself to that point. I believe I will get a chance. Coach Clay Matchett (Louisiana College's special teams coordinator and former NFL coach) does a good job of putting us in a position to get noticed by pro teams. ”

Carlisle, who came to Louisiana College the same year as Browder, said the Wildcat snapper has as good a chance as anyone.

“I made the statement when he was a freshman that he was the best long snapper I'd ever seen,” Carlisle said. “He's bigger now, a lot more muscular and maybe not quite as limber as he was as a freshman but I've timed him and he's right there among the best.”

According to Carlisle, the key number for a long snapper is seven, as in seven-tenths of a second travel time from snapper to punter, 15 yards with accuracy.

“He's right at seven, sometimes under,” Carlisle said. “And I can't remember any of them being off target. In his career,
we've had two blocked bunts. The first was a protection issue. On the other, the punter fumbled the ball.”

With pro-level skills and a track record of success, it would seem Browder would have been noticed. Not so … and no problem, said Browder.

“It doesn't bother me that I don't get noticed,” Browder said. “It's not a position people think about unless you're doing something wrong. The fact that I haven't been noticed over the years just means I wasn't snapping it over people's heads.”

While Browder's contributions might have gone virtually unnoticed by the fans, his coaches won't soon forget him.

“He's been a valuable member of the team,” Dunn said. “As a snapper his record speaks for itself and when we've called upon him to make a big catch, he's always come through. His catches might be few and far between, but his catches always seemed to occur at a key moment.”

“When you're setting up a punt, the first thing you need is a punter who can get the kick off quickly,” Carlisle said. “The next most important person is the long snapper and if you don't have a good snapper, you will know it. We've had a good one here for quite some time.”

PREGAME CAPSULE
Louisiana College (7-2, 5-2 American Southwest Conference) at Hardin-Simmons (5-4, 3-4 ASC)
Kickoff: 1 p.m., Saturday.
Location: Abilene, Texas.
TV: None.
Listen Online: www.1055kbuck.com.
Local Radio: 105.5 FM KBCK Alexandria.
Watch Online (w/live stats): http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/hsu.portal#.
Rankings: Neither team is ranked.
Mascots: Louisiana College Wildcats, Hardin-Simmons Cowboys.
Coaches: Louisiana College, Dennis Dunn (6th season); Hardin-Simmons, Jesse Burleson (1st Season).
All-Time Series: Hardin-Simmons leads 8-2.
Current Streak: LC has won last two meetings.
Last Year: LC defeated HSU 44-42.
Last Week: LC lost 41-28 to McMurry, HSU was idle (last game was 24-21 loss to McMurry on Oct. 29).
Series Notes: Until recently, the LC-HSU rivalry was dominated by the Cowboys. Hardin-Simmons won the first eight meetings. LC has won the last two … 2010 was the third time in the history of the series that a game was decided by one score (LC won 44-42). In the other nine meetings, the average margin of victory has been 28 points.
Hardin-Simmons Notes: Hardin-Simmons boasts the No. 4 scoring offense in the ASC. The Cowboys also rank fifth in total offense … HSU has a balanced offensive attack and averages 185 rushing yards and 248 passing yards per game … The Cowboys rank third in the conference in total defense and fourth in scoring defense … Senior running back Steven Rockwell ranks third in the conference in rushing with 881 yards and 14 touchdowns on 155 carries. He also leads the conference in scoring with 90 points … Quarterback Zach Stewart has a quarterback efficiency rating of 132.5, fifth best in the American Southwest Conference. He's passed for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2011. Stewart splits time under center with Taylor Byrd, who has passed f0r 1,089 yards and eight touchdowns … Travis Tatch and Corey Jones rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference in receiving yards. Tatch has caught 50 passes for 791 yards and six touchdowns while Jones has caught 40 for 766 and eight scores … Defensively, the Cowboys are led by a trio of solid-tackling defensive backs. Cornerback Emmanuel Akers (70) and safeties Caleb Christian (67) and Jonathan Petty (66) rank fourth, fifth and sixth in the conference in total tackles.
Louisiana College Notes: With their loss to McMurry last week, the Wildcats were eliminated from postseason consideration and locked into third place in the 2011 American Southwest Conference standings … A win Saturday versus Hardin-Simmons would give LC an 8-2 record, which would stand as the best finish since the rebirth of football at LC in 2000 … Louisiana College wide receiver Darnell Williams, who last week set the school single-game receiving yards record with 244 yards on nine catches, leads the American Southwest Conference in all-purpose yards with 1,275 and is second in receiving yards with 960. On the year, he's scored 54 total points (nine touchdowns). Last week, Williams, a preseason All-American, was named to the D3Football.com National Team of the Week … Louisiana College ranks first in total offense and second in scoring offense in the ASC. The Wildcats average 498 yards and 38 points per game … The LC defense ranks second in both total and scoring defense and has allowed 347 yards and 22 points per game … Defensively, the Wildcats are a balanced group. Just one player ranks in the top-10 in tackles within the conference, junior linebacker Nate Janzen in 10th place with 65, but four rank in the top 20. In addition to Janzen, senior linebacker Taylor Cottano ranks 12th with 62 tackles while junior linebacker Richard Logan and junior defensive end Peter Ford are tied at 17th with 57 tackles apiece. Ford, the most decorated of the Wildcat defenders with two National Team of Week and conference Defensive Player of the Week honors, leads the American Southwest Conference in sacks with seven (six solo, two assisted).