Program Feature: Brent Matiscik
10/2/2024 1:42:00 PM | Football
TCU hosts Houston Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
By Kennedy Knisley
Brent Matiscik's journey to becoming a sixth-year long snapper at TCU is as much about family as it is football. Growing up in McKinney, Texas, he made the choice to stay local, partly because he wanted to foster a lifelong rivalry with his older brother, who played at Baylor.
Brent says, "The main reason why I chose TCU is because, it's close to home and it's a winning program. I have two older brothers, one played at Rice and one played at Baylor. I'd go to those games and they were too far away from home in my eyes. Another big reason is, since my brother went to Baylor, I wanted something that'd serve as a lifelong rivalry with him."
Family runs deep in the Matiscik household. Brent's brother, Ross, now a long snapper for the Jacksonville Jaguars, inspired him to try his hand at the role. However, it wasn't love at first snap. "Starting out in high school, I played tight end and linebacker. Since my brother snapped at Baylor, my coach suggested, 'Oh, you should snap.' I hated it; was not good at it," Matiscik recalls.
Despite this reluctance, fate had other plans. During his time at TCU, Brent initially played fullback for two years before the team discovered his family connection. "They noticed that my brother played at Baylor. They asked me, 'Hey, do you know how to snap?' I told them kind of, not really."
Brent's path to long snapping officially began in his junior year, when he decided to take it seriously. By the time Kendal Briles arrived as offensive coordinator in 2023, Brent had a decision to make—either learn a new offense or focus solely on snapping.
Now a seasoned snapper, Brent's daily practice routine is demanding but precise. His role centers on field goals and punts, with the majority of his work coming in the first part of practice. Although his practice isn't as strenuous as skill positions or linemen, he stays active throughout the session. "We're still active. Unlike a lot of other programs with long snappers and specialists, we run and stay conditioned."
The mental side of snapping is something Brent has also learned to master. "For me, it's two things, and every single time the holder is either eight yards away or the punter is 15 yards away. So it doesn't change much. It's just mental."
Even with football, family is always top of mind. His family attends nearly all his games before jetting off to support his brother. "They have busy weekends when football season hits. They're locked in," Brent says.
Despite the pressures of being a long snapper, Brent remains calm and confident. "The first year, I was stressed out. As I started doing it more consistently, I became more relaxed. Once the ball leaves my hand, I know where it's going." This mental fortitude, paired with his strong family ties, has defined his journey at TCU—one snap at a time.
Brent Matiscik's journey to becoming a sixth-year long snapper at TCU is as much about family as it is football. Growing up in McKinney, Texas, he made the choice to stay local, partly because he wanted to foster a lifelong rivalry with his older brother, who played at Baylor.
Brent says, "The main reason why I chose TCU is because, it's close to home and it's a winning program. I have two older brothers, one played at Rice and one played at Baylor. I'd go to those games and they were too far away from home in my eyes. Another big reason is, since my brother went to Baylor, I wanted something that'd serve as a lifelong rivalry with him."
Family runs deep in the Matiscik household. Brent's brother, Ross, now a long snapper for the Jacksonville Jaguars, inspired him to try his hand at the role. However, it wasn't love at first snap. "Starting out in high school, I played tight end and linebacker. Since my brother snapped at Baylor, my coach suggested, 'Oh, you should snap.' I hated it; was not good at it," Matiscik recalls.
Despite this reluctance, fate had other plans. During his time at TCU, Brent initially played fullback for two years before the team discovered his family connection. "They noticed that my brother played at Baylor. They asked me, 'Hey, do you know how to snap?' I told them kind of, not really."
Brent's path to long snapping officially began in his junior year, when he decided to take it seriously. By the time Kendal Briles arrived as offensive coordinator in 2023, Brent had a decision to make—either learn a new offense or focus solely on snapping.
Now a seasoned snapper, Brent's daily practice routine is demanding but precise. His role centers on field goals and punts, with the majority of his work coming in the first part of practice. Although his practice isn't as strenuous as skill positions or linemen, he stays active throughout the session. "We're still active. Unlike a lot of other programs with long snappers and specialists, we run and stay conditioned."
The mental side of snapping is something Brent has also learned to master. "For me, it's two things, and every single time the holder is either eight yards away or the punter is 15 yards away. So it doesn't change much. It's just mental."
Even with football, family is always top of mind. His family attends nearly all his games before jetting off to support his brother. "They have busy weekends when football season hits. They're locked in," Brent says.
Despite the pressures of being a long snapper, Brent remains calm and confident. "The first year, I was stressed out. As I started doing it more consistently, I became more relaxed. Once the ball leaves my hand, I know where it's going." This mental fortitude, paired with his strong family ties, has defined his journey at TCU—one snap at a time.
Players Mentioned
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