Detroit Lions: Special Teamers’ Pro Bowl bid is well deserved

Darius Slay will not be the only member of the Detroit Lions at the Pro Bowl this weekend, as one core special-teamer earns a well-deserved bid.

There are a few select Detroit Lions players, such as quarterback Matthew Stafford and cornerback Darius Slay, whose jerseys are sold at a rapid pace and who are seen as stars on the team. Long snapper Don Muhlbach is not one of those players, as many casual fans of the team probably don’t even know who he is.

But regardless of his level of notoriety, Muhlbach was recently selected to the Pro Bowl and will play in Orlando this Sunday alongside his teammate Slay. This will be the second appearance in the Pro Bowl for Muhlbach, a 15-year veteran who has been the Lions’ primary long snapper since the 2004 season.

Muhlbach has been a mainstay in the Lions’ organization for a long time, as he ranks second in franchise history with 228 career games played and hasn’t missed a single game since 2009.

Despite the longevity of Muhlbach’s career, many casual fans probably don’t realize he’s there. That’s because he’s been so consistent doing his job for such a long time, it’s hard to notice just how dominant the man has been.

A former walk-on at Texas A & M, Muhlbach was cut by the Ravens his rookie year before moving back in with his parents and taking a job at a local. Luckily for both Muhlbach and Lions fans, he got a call from Detroit eight games into the season, as they needed a long snapper after Jody Littleton tore his ACL.

Another Lions’ mainstay, kicker Jason Hanson, remembers Muhlbach’s entrance onto the team quite fondly, as he told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.

"“I’ll never forget the week we signed him … [Punter/holder Nick Harris] was already looking at me wide-eyed. He thought this guy was shooting the balls out of a shotgun at him. It was as fast as he’s ever seen."

Muhlbach took that hot start and never looked back. He, of course, never dreamed of being a long snapper, something he developed a knack for back in the 10th grade. Muhlbach is now seen as one of the best long snappers in the league, and has been looked at that way for many years now. Current Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater is one of many to sing his praises.

"“Nobody snaps it harder, that’s for sure. He’s just the best.”"

In an organization known for it’s inconsistency on offense, mediocre defense and absurd coaching decisions, the special teams unit for the Lions has been pretty reliable the past few years, thanks to Muhlbach, Prater and punter Sam Martin.

Despite all of the success he’s seen, long snappers age too, and Muhlbach has reportedly been considering retirement and hasn’t officially decided if he plans on playing a 16th season.

Even though his work often goes unseen or unmerited, the Detroit Lions are going to miss Don Muhlbach if he retires this offseason. Hopefully he enjoys the Pro Bowl before returning this season and being perhaps the most consistent player the franchise has had in the past 15 years.