WVU Football
Sunahara Named Semifinalist for Long Snapping Award
Long snapper might be the least visible position on a football team.
A large percentage of WVU fans are probably unaware, but Rex Sunahara, WVU’s long snapper, is one of the best in the nation. On Tuesday, Sunahrar was named a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award. The award is given to the best senior long snapper at the Division-I FBS level.
Congratulations to Rex Sunahara, who has been named a semifinalist for the @MannellyAward!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/v6uM3OZcGG
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) November 19, 2019
Sunahara was recently featured in WVU Football’s Life as a Mountaineer series, where went walked around WVU’s downtown campus asking is people knew who he was. Unsurprisingly, no one did.
Rex Sunahara (@RexSunahara) scours the downtown campus, while detailing his interesting path to West Virginia and becoming a long snapper. Take it away, Rex!
Life as a Mountaineer is presented by @PanhandleCR. pic.twitter.com/5trcuaxScz
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) November 14, 2019
Mentioned in the video, Rex’s father, Reed Sunahara, is the head coach for WVU volleyball. Rex played football and basketball at Rhode Island for one year before transferring to WVU. He has been the team’s primary long snapper for the past two seasons.
Sunahara is a member of a special teams unit that has been outstanding this season for the Mountaineers. WVU has held opponents under 50 total return yards seven times this season and under 100 return yards nine times. This year Sunahara is crediting with making four tackles.
The only other Big 12 semifinalists for the award is Iowa State’s Steven Wirtel. Finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 25 with a winner announced on Dec. 14.