Tanner Gregory Purdum
(born August 15, 1984) is a former
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 ...
who played seven seasons with the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Purdum comes from
Ava, Missouri
Ava is the only incorporated city in Douglas County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,894 at the 2020 census. Ava is the county seat of Douglas County. The city was founded in 1871. It was renamed ''Ava'' in 1881, the town's origin ...
. He was signed by the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2009. 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 ...
at
Baker
A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery.
History
Ancient history
Since grains ha ...
.
Professional career
Kansas City Chiefs
On April 7, 2009, the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
signed Purdum with the intention of having him compete for the starting job of long snapper. On August 13, 2009, the Chiefs waived Purdum in favor of
Thomas Gafford
Thomas Edward Gafford (born January 29, 1983) is a former American football long snapper. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Houston.
Gafford has also been a member of the ...
.
New York Jets
On February 5, 2010, the New York Jets signed Purdum to a three-year contract after incumbent long snapper
James Dearth
James Dearth (born January 22, 1976) is a former American football long snapper. Dearth, who attended Tarleton State University, was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft.
He has also been a member of the New ...
, who was an unrestricted free agent at the time, had a few snaps that were "off the mark" in the 2009 season.
Purdum was recommended to the team by former Chiefs and Jets punter
Louie Aguiar
Louis Raymond Aguiar (born June 30, 1966 in Livermore, California) is a former American football Punter (football position), punter. In his career, he played for the Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe), Barcelona Dragons (1991) of the World League of ...
.
On March 10, 2017, Purdum signed a one-year contract extension with the Jets.
On September 2, 2017, Purdum was released by the Jets after the team traded for rookie long snapper
Thomas Hennessy
Thomas Hennessy was an Irish Cumann na nGaedheal politician and medical practitioner.
He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at a by-election on 11 March 1925 for the Dublin South constituency, after the resignation of the Cumann na nGaedhe ...
. At the time, Purdum was the longest-tenured player on the team, and the last remaining player on the roster who had appeared in a playoff game for the Jets.
On March 28, 2018, Purdum announced his retirement from the NFL.
Personal life
Purdum is married to his wife, Kara.
He received his master's degree in education from Baker in 2009. Purdum graduated from Ava High School in Ava, Missouri in 2003.
References
External links
New York Jets Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purdum, Tanner
1984 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Enid, Oklahoma
Players of American football from McLennan County, Texas
Players of American football from Texas
American football quarterbacks
American football long snappers
Baker Wildcats football players
Kansas City Chiefs players
New York Jets players
People from Ava, Missouri