DeKALB | Rule No. 1 about being a long snapper: don’t let your name show up in the paper.

Recognition in the dailies is usually a surefire indicator that you’ve messed up, and a major concern of Tommy O’Brien.

So much so that after my lesson in long snapping, the freshman left me a voicemail concerned about having his name grace the sports pages.

With the assistance of media relations, we calmed the apprehension of the California native.

Soft-spoken, with his stringy dark hair being blown into his face from time to time by a pesky wind, O’Brien and I meet as the shadows from the west bleachers at Huskie Stadium are about to encompass all of Brigham Field.

O’Brien goes through the logistics.

“Make a triangle out of your left fore finger and thumb,” O’Brien said. “Place your right thumb on the seam so there is a triangle.”

A fairly easy task, except my thumb doesn’t quite want to stay on the seam.

O’Brien says that is OK; that each long snapper has varying styles.

The difference in stance is amazing.

With his wide back and 235-pound frame, O’Brien’s stance resembles the broad side of a barn.

When I assume my stance, widen my feet and bend over, I realize my 165-pound frame probably is more like a 2 X 4.

“The narrower your stance, the faster the ball,” O’Brien said. “The wider your stance is; the more accurate the ball. I don’t know why, I think it has to do with leg power.”

O’Brien has the ball cockeyed, then he leans on it, takes a peek at his punter and “throws his hands through” with lightening quickness.

“Basically throw it with your right and lead it with your left,” O’Brien said. “When you end the hands should point at the punter, your thumbs away from each other.”

Your hand location in the follow through and the height of your back determine where the ball is going to go.

We alternate snapping to one another.

Conveniently, my Abercrombie & Fitch hoodie has No. 18 on the front, same as NIU sophomore punter Andy Dittbenner.

O’Brien goes through his usual routine. Point and fist-pound to the punter, peek though the legs, practice snap with the hands and finally address the ball.

The velocity O’Brien has on the ball is considerable. The cold pigskin stings my hands, which have changed to a bizarre shade of purple because of the icy wind.

With an approved stance and grip, I attempt to snap the ball back to a waiting O’Brien.

More of a throw than a toss, my ball arrives in a spiral, sans the same speed, but with accuracy nonetheless.

Considering it was my first attempt at snapping, I was pretty proud of myself. So, feeling satisfied, I decided to look for a little reinforcement to my pride.

“How was that,” I asked.

“You need a lot more power,” O’Brien said.