Oakland

When Jon Condo Did His Job, Nobody Noticed

Raiders' longtime long snapper won't be back for 2018 season, ending a long run of consistency at a key position

For 11 seasons, the Raiders had a rock on special teams in long snapper Jon Condo.

There were other things Oakland and its fans had to worry about, but Condo wasn't one of them. Except for very rare occasions, Condo delivered perfect snaps for punters Shane Lechler and Marquette King and kicker Sebastian Janikowski and, last season, Giorgio Tavecchio.

But the Raiders have told Condo, 36, he won't get a contract offer this time. His familiar No. 59, and his long-snapping job, will go to someone else this coming season.

The one-time Pro Bowl pick, in 2009, was the second-longest tenured player on the Raiders roster, behind Janikowksi, who also won’t return next season.

Tweeted Condo this week: "Earlier today my agent informed me that I will no longer be an Oakland Raider. Words can’t express the gratitude I have for the Davis family. They believed in me for 12 years and it was an honor to represent the Raider shield on and off the field. I will always value the meaning of 'commitment to excellence' and ingrain these characteristics in my children. Many thanks to all of the fans for making my time in the silver & black memorable. We shared many great moments that I will cherish forever."

Long snappers go unnoticed as long as they do their job well, so Condo's performance was largely taken for granted. Rarely, such as in a game against the Chargers this past season, he made a bad snap that cost the Raiders a PAT kick in a loss.

Perhaps Condo's most memorable game occurred in September of 2012, when he was injured early in a game against the Chargers and backup long snapper/linebacker Travis Goethel was forced into his duties. Goethel made two atrocious snaps to punter Lechler, who also had a punt blocked that night. Lechler never had had a punt blocked with Condo snapping to him.

Back in 2015, Condo said he approached his job with the knowledge every snap was critically important.

"It's about being a professional, taking your job seriously," he said. "That's my personality. I am a long snapper in the NFL and I want to be perfect. I compete against myself every day. It only takes one bad snap, one bad play and you're out of this league. I take every snap that I have as serious as possible. I think that’s what drives me to stay in this league."

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