Cole Joseph Frank Mazza (born February 14, 1995) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

long snapper In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point attempt ...

for the

Houston Gamblers The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons. They were noteworthy for introducing ...

of the

United States Football League The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...

(USFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

College career

Mazza was served as the starting long snapper

Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...

for four seasons, including the team's 2015 National Championship year. He missed only two games in four years due to injury and finished his collegiate career without a single botched snap in 583 attempts. Following his senior season Mazza was invited to participate in the

2017 Senior Bowl The 2017 Senior Bowl was an all-star college football exhibition game featuring players from the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and prospects for the 2017 Draft of the professional National Football League (NFL). The game concluded th ...

Professional career

Mazza garnered little NFL interest after graduating and worked for two years as a fitness coach until earning a tryout from the

Alliance of American Football The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was a professional American football minor league. The AAF consisted of eight centrally owned and operated teams in the southern and western United States, seven of which were located in metropolitan are ...

Birmingham Iron

Mazza was signed by the

Birmingham Iron The Birmingham Iron were a professional American football franchise based in Birmingham, Alabama, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which played one season from February 2019 to April 2019. They played thei ...

of the

. He served as the long snapper in all eight of the team's games before the league folded.

Los Angeles Chargers

Mazza was signed by the

Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division, and ...

on April 8, 2019. Mazza beat out nine year incumbent Mike Windt to become the Chargers' long snapper for the 2019 season. Mazza made his NFL debut on September 8, 2019 against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

. Mazza served as the Chargers' long snapper for all 16 games in his first NFL season. On August 30, 2021, Mazza was waived/injured by the Chargers and placed on injured reserve. He was released on September 8, 2021.

Houston Gamblers

On January 19, 2023, Mazza signed with the

of the

(USFL).

References

External links

Alabama Crimson Tide bio

Los Angeles Chargers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazza, Cole 1995 births Living people American football long snappers Los Angeles Chargers players Players of American football from Bakersfield, California Alabama Crimson Tide football players Birmingham Iron players Houston Gamblers (2022) players