Julien Benjamin—Staff Writer
Kennesaw State football player Nic Snowden won two Georgia Independent School Association state championships in 2012 and 2013 at Loganville Christian Academy as a quarterback. He amassed over 2,500 all-purpose yards and 32 total touchdowns over those two seasons. Snowden, however, doesn’t play quarterback for the Owls. He is now learning to bat-down passes instead of throw them, as a defensive back.
“It’s been different and challenging,” Snowden said. Despite his success as a quarterback, Snowden was not recruited for the position at KSU. He admits to feeling disappointed at the time. “I mean, yeah, obviously,” Snowden said. “But I just looked at it as an opportunity to get to play [college football]. If someone would give me the opportunity, no matter what position, I was open to play.”
He has quickly adjusted to his new job on the other side of the ball. “I came in not foreign to defense,” Snowden said. “I played a little DB on the side in high school.” Despite this, the transition to a defender has not come without a learning curve for Snowden. “Biggest change has been learning technique, the ins and outs of cornerback, and how they wanted [me] to do it.”
Snowden had a variety of colleges who were pursuing him out of high school, including some Ivy League schools, and Division III member Berry College. But he ultimately chose KSU, feeling that it was the best fit for him and his family. “Me and my coach came up here, started talking to coach [Bohannon], and that’s how things got going from here,” Snowden said.
With football games just under a year away, Snowden feels confident in his ability to compete. “The biggest area of improvement for me is just trying to work on the little things they teach us to do,” Snowden said. “It’s been a process, and I’m not perfect at it at all.” He credits defensive back coach Chris Bland for his improvement. “Coach Bland cares for us, and he’s teaching us right.”
While games that count are still off in the future, the scrimmage that was played just last month has Snowden excited. “The scrimmage was fun. We got a lot of good reps, and the audience got a feel of what the vibe is going to be like,” Snowden said.
Looking towards the future, the student body will have to be involved and enthusiastic about the team, and Snowden feels that they are ready. “I know the student body doesn’t really know the team that well, hasn’t seen the team in action, but they’re definitely very much excited. I’m definitely excited. It’s going to be a long process, it has been so far,” Snowden said
“Being patient, realizing that it’s going to take time, and when we get there, it’s all going to be worth it,” Snowden said of staying motivated. “This is a blessing and an opportunity to lay the foundation for the next 50 years of Kennesaw State football.”