Joe Marvin in coming to Penn State this fall with a goal - he doesn't want you to have to hear his name.
The incoming walk-on long-snapping specialist from Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C., knows is that if you get too familiar with him, something probably isn't right.
"As a long snapper, you don't get noticed until you mess up," Marvin said, only half-joking. "It's one of those positions where you have to be consistent and not be a page turner. You don't want to be the guy who people flip through their program for to see who just sailed the ball over the punter's head.
"I'm not trying to get noticed, I'm just trying to help Penn State win some football games."
Marvin was researching schools up and down the East Coast that would resemble his parents alma mater, Michigan State, but would land him closer to his Potomac, Md., home. His search led him to check out some smaller schools in the region, most notably Wake Forest, which could provide him with the smaller, private school feel that he was used to from Gonzaga, an all boys school that graduates under 250 students a year.
His outlook changed when he decided to look into Happy Valley.
"I actually took the academic school tour before I even saw the athletic and football facilities, and I just instantly fell in love with the campus," he said.
Penn State, in turn, was also interested. His tape had made it to former assistant coach Bill Kenney, who invited Marvin up for a closer look at the football program. While on campus, He invited Marvin to joined the squad as a preferred walk-on.
Marvin accepted the offer in June of last year.
"The special teams coach at the time was Bill Kenney, he had actually recognized me through Rubio Long Snapping. He actually took me on the tour and told me that they would love to have me snap for them," he said. "I was pretty excited when he told me that."
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Marvin will enroll at Penn State for the second summer session at June 23. He has already struck up a few friendships with some future classmates, including Gilman School defensive tackle Brian Gaia. The two will likely be roommates this fall.
Marvin is hoping to come in and make a dent on the longsnapping depth chart as early as this season. Center Ty Howle handled the snapping duties in the spring.
"The first thing is to gain some experience. To come into a program like Penn State that is so highly-thought of, the first thing you have to do is build some confidence," he said. "You've got to work hard. In the weight room their main goals are 'Know your Role' and 'Do your job.'
"So I'm coming in to work hard and get it all down so I can potentially see the field, if not this season then the year after that. But I'm coming in having the opportunity to play at Penn State."
