By: Lindsey Young
Andrew DePaola sat on the turf of TCO Stadium, leaning back on his palms beneath an inky-dark sky lit by sparkling fireworks.
Two-year-old Olivia, uncertain about the colorful explosions, nuzzled her head against DePaola's shoulder while wife Amy cozied next to him. Luke, 11 months, happily used DePaola's purple helmet as a jungle gym; 4-year-old Drew and almost-6-year-old Grace giggled and played nearby.
DePaola smiled, soaking in the moment.
This is the life he's dreamed of.
The Vikings annual training camp night practice had just wrapped, marking his fifth as the team's long snapper.
DePaola's path hasn't been easy. It has, however, been rewarding.
He's entering his 11th NFL season and sixth with Minnesota, but his journey actually began in 2012 as a 27-year-old undrafted rookie with the Buccaneers. He twice fell victim to final roster cuts but in 2014 became Tampa Bay's starting long snapper, a position held three seasons before tearing his ACL in the 2016 regular-season finale. DePaola worked his way through rehab, played for Chicago the following season and joined the Raiders for the 2018 campaign … only to tear his other ACL in Week 1.
DePaola found himself out of football for an entire year, working to find his way back to the sport he loves.
In November 2020, the Vikings gave him a shot, first on the practice squad and then the active roster in December— and it all paid off. Fast-forward five years, and DePaola (a team captain) this year became the first long snapper in NFL history to receive three straight Pro Bowl nods.
To say DePaola doesn't take much for granted is an understatement.
"It just says a lot about who the guy is," Vikings Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels said. "You know what he truly goes through, the adversity he's able to handle and the grit that he has. You just appreciate that so much."
Added Daniels: "Everybody's got a story, and that's what makes it so cool, right?"
Talk with DePaola's coaches or teammates, and it's likely they'll point out the work ethic that's gotten him where he is today.
He recalled being a young snapper trying to make it in the pros, focusing all his energy on his hands, arm strength and aim. He now understands that emphasis was misplaced.
What is the most important part of snapping, mechanics-wise?
DePaola paused, chuckled, paused again.
"I don't know how to explain this," he quipped, "but it's the butt."
OK, then.
"You want your butt pointed at your target, and you want to keep your butt on the same plane," DePaola detailed, noting a raised or lowered derriere will disrupt the ball's trajectory. "It's something you've definitely got to work on. … Your legs, your hips, those all need to work in sync, and that's where you get your power from. Your lower body does more than your hands, and you have to learn that to be successful."
Laying the groundwork
DePaola's attention to detail also includes film study, a significant part of his game preparation. Sometimes, it's pulling up opponents' game tape with Daniels and Assistant Special Teams Coordinator Dalmin Gibson; but DePaola has plenty of solo study sessions, as well.
He uses an analogy: "If you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I'm going to spend the first four-and-a-half hours sharpening the blade. Film study, seeing those reps over and over again, it's huge."
DePaola's groundwork has shown up in very real ways, as Daniels pointed to a prime example during the 2022 Vikings Week 2 contest at Philadelphia.
"I know the exact play he's talking about," he laughed. "We had seen something on film that they'd done the previous year, and they only did it once or twice, and then when they lined up in it, I recognized it right away.
"We had a call on; I turned around to [punt protector] Ty Chandler, who, by the way, was new that game because [Joshua] Metellus got hurt, so we threw Ty in," he recounted. "I relayed to Ty, 'Hey, this is what's going on, send me this direction because this is what they're running.' He asked, 'Are you sure?' And I said, 'Yes.' We did, and it all worked out."
Over the past five seasons in Purple, DePaola's contributed to multiple memorable games.
The one that takes the cake?
Minnesota's history-making, comeback win over the Colts in December 2022.
DePaola recalled a disastrous (across the board) first half, when Indianapolis blocked a Vikings first-quarter punt attempt, and a punt fake failed in the following period. Minnesota went into halftime down 33-0.
"I remember going into the locker room and being like, "All right, everyone settle down. It's us. Like, we're the Minnesota Vikings. Relax. We're gonna come back; we're gonna be fine,' " DePaola said. "And I remember [Patrick Peterson] telling everyone, 'Hey guys, all we need is five touchdowns.'
"At the time it sounded silly … but it was also like, 'OK, yeah, we can do that.' We calmed down, we went back out there and did our job, and we wound up winning," he continued. "We hit the game-winning field goal, and I run down and get the ball for the kicker, so I'm running down, and the ball went through. And then I see people coming out on the field, and I'm like, 'What are y'all doing? Like, get off the field. We're still playing.'
"I was so locked in, and I didn't know we just won," DePaola quipped. "I was like, 'We have a job to do, get out of here.' And then everyone was like, 'You guys just won.' "
Connection & compassion
DePaola has an innate ability to connect with others — coaches, teammates, staff members and fans.
Daniels noted DePaola is consistently reliable not only on the field but off.
"He's authentic, he's personable, he's caring," Daniels said. "What really separates a lot of leaders is he's a very empathetic person. He shows true empathy for individuals, and you really appreciate that, because he truly can tap into what you're going through, understand it, communicate with you — whether you're looking for an answer from him or you're just looking for an ear."
Asked where that sense of compassion comes from, DePaola paused for a moment before answering.
"There really isn't a situation that I haven't been in. I've been the camp body. I've been the guy competing for a job and getting cut; I've been the guy competing for a job and getting the job. I've been the guy struggling, you know, feeling like you're at your lowest low and then realizing it's not your lowest. I've been the guy who's been at the highest high. I've been the guy who's gotten hurt, missed a year. I've been the guy who's been cut, re-signed," DePaola rattled off. "I think I can see myself in a lot of different players, just because I've been in so many situations … I've also been around for a couple years, so you see guys struggling and you understand there could be some off-the-field stuff going on. Take that person under your wing, make them feel loved. 'Hey, man, you matter. What's going on?'
"That can be uplifting for a lot of guys," he added. "I try to do that as often as I can, because I've been in that situation and I think an arm around me would have helped at that time. I also just try to be human and care about people, who they are. I think relationships we build here are going to last far beyond the game of football, and I try to keep that in mind, too."
One such friend is Harrison Smith, who's had a front-row (well, really, adjacent) seat to DePaola's genuine nature, as The Hitman's locker has been beside Sir Po's (a nickname bestowed by Daniels) since he signed with Minnesota five-plus years ago.
Smith, entering his 14th Vikings season, is grateful to have a locker mate just a year-and-a-half older than him and joked the two can commiserate about aging bodies and aching joints.
"We're grumpy vets sometimes, and we can lean on each other to get by," Smith quipped. "But it's really great. I could ask DePo any question off the top of my head, and we'll have good conversation about it. We're also in similar stages of our lives and careers, and it helps to have a guy like that around, feeling what you're feeling and in the same shoes.
"We had Jets (Justin Jefferson) right there by us, and we had Kirk [Cousins]. Now we've got J.J. [McCarthy] and Aaron Jones and Sam Howell over there, so it's a good little location, and we're kind of the OGs on the block now," Smith continued. "We've had a lot of good times just hanging out at the lockers."
The Vikings have had a history of interesting long snappers during Smith's tenure, including Cullen Loeffler, Kevin McDermott and DePaola.
"They have so much time, they should be able to develop a personality; the rest of us, we're just football jocks. We don't have much depth to us," Smith deadpanned. "But no — DePo, there's a lot of layers to him, but just a solid, solid dude and a great teammate. There's a reason he's been around for so long. He thinks about others quite a bit, guys that he doesn't even know, and you can tell you he takes pride in it."
DePaola has built a rapport also with Minnesota community members and Vikings fans.
Whether it's posting Pro Bowl jersey giveaways and interacting with fans on social media or his weekly Friday appearance on 93X, DePaola gathers supporters wherever he goes.
He's done the radio segment now for three seasons and is excited to pick it up again this year. DePaola regularly razzes the show co-hosts, reminding them he wasn't their first choice.
"Yeah, if I'm being honest, we had tossed quite a few names out there to the Vikings three years ago before we landed on DePo," laughed radio personality Dana Wessel. "So was he the first choice? Nope. But did it end up being the perfect choice for everyone involved? Absolutely.
"Every athlete is different on the radio, regardless of their position. Some have a big personality and have fun while others are more shy and reserved. It took about five minutes for Andrew's self-deprecating sense of humor to fit right in with the rest of us on the show," Wessel added. "It's been awesome seeing how much our listeners have taken to DePo, as well. I think they were skeptical at first — I mean, there is a reason Netflix has a show called Quarterbacks and not Long Snappers — but they immediately took to him like we did."
Wessel noted the station's efforts in promoting Pro Bowl fan voting for DePaola each year.
"Our listeners rally around him like a bunch of Swifties," he said. "Everyone around here takes it as a badge of honor each year when we see his name get selected, and we're looking forward to making it four years running."
Making an impression
As DePaola enters the 2025 campaign, expect him to continue prepping, working and executing as he's always done.
Daniels already knows he'll hear "unbelievable" compliments of DePaola from opposing coaches and players on a week-to-week basis.
Bears long snapper Scott Daly has spent the past four seasons in the NFC North (Detroit 2021-23, Chicago 2024) and has looked up to DePaola as someone who's navigated a similar "unorthodox" journey and humbly seen it pay off.
"More than anything, his resiliency is very, very inspirational," Daly said. "And not only that, but he's a great ambassador for the game, a great ambassador for the position. Somebody's who's incredibly successful at what he does, incredibly consistent, very level-headed — and at the same time, a great person for his community, the organization, the team. He's been great to play against twice a year.
"I can't say enough great things about him and the player he is but, more importantly, the person he is off the field."
DePaola takes each of his roles seriously: husband, father, teammate, friend.
Minnesota Viking.
"This locker room has been pretty special," DePaola said. "Guys on the team, we care about each other's successes, and we celebrate that. … We celebrate each other, not really ourselves, which is just really cool to see.
"This coaching staff allows you to be who you are while still playing football. They don't try to make you someone else," he added. "It's been a breath of fresh air. It's been great. It's been unlike anywhere else I played, which has been awesome.
"And wearing the 'C' on my jersey? That's probably the highest honor I've ever achieved at this level. It's not something I take lightly; I try to be that guy every day," DePaola emphasized. "To be voted by your teammates as captain is huge to me. And I think that's the biggest thing I'll take away from the NFL, just knowing that the guys looked at me in that way."
