Richard Peter Lovato Jr. (born September 9, 1992) 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 wi ...

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 att ...

for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

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). He played college football at Old Dominion. Lovato was signed by the Chicago Bears 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 2015. He has also played for the Green Bay Packers and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Early years

Lovato was born in

Neptune Township, New Jersey Neptune Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 28,061, an increase of 126 from the 2010 census enumeration of 27,935, in turn an increase of 245 ( ...

, the son of Rick and Maureen Lovato. He attended Middletown High School South in

Middletown, New Jersey Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a total population of 67,106, making it the most-populous municipality in the county and the state's 16th ...

, where he started long snapping as a freshman. He also saw time at

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

and on the

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

College career

Lovato played college football for the

Old Dominion Monarchs football The Old Dominion Monarchs football program represents Old Dominion University in U.S. college football. The first iteration of the team created in 1930 was known as the William & Mary Norfolk Division Braves. Founded in 2009, the current Monarchs ...

team from 2011 to 2014. He appeared in all 50 games as the Monarchs’ long snapper.

Professional career

Chicago Bears

After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, Lovato signed with the Chicago Bears on May 3, 2015. On August 30, 2015, he was released by the Bears.

Green Bay Packers

On December 22, 2015, Lovato was signed by the Green Bay Packers after starting long snapper Brett Goode suffered a season-ending knee injury. Prior to being signed, he was working at a sandwich shop in

Lincroft, New Jersey Lincroft is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) within Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States.

owned by his father and uncle. Lovato became the first Old Dominion alumnus to play in a regular-season NFL game after handling snapping duties for every punt and field goal against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. On September 3, 2016, he was released by the Packers during final team cuts.

Washington Redskins

On November 19, 2016, Lovato was signed by the

to fill in for the injured Nick Sundberg. He was released on November 29, 2016.

Philadelphia Eagles

On December 12, 2016, Lovato was signed by the

after starting long snapper Jon Dorenbos suffered a broken wrist. Lovato earned the Eagles long snapping job in 2017 after the team traded away Dorenbos. Lovato would go on to win

Super Bowl LII Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...

with the Eagles. On November 19, 2019, Lovato signed a four-year contract extension with the Eagles through the 2024 season. He was selected to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

on December 17, 2019. On October 25, 2021, Lovato was waived by the Eagles following the waiver claim of Reid Sinnett. Lovato re-signed to the Eagles' 53-man roster the following day. In

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

, Lovato reached his second career Super Bowl. The Eagles lost 38-35 to 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 ...

References

External links

*
Old Dominion Monarchs bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lovato, Rick 1992 births Living people Middletown High School South alumni People from Middletown Township, New Jersey Players of American football from Monmouth County, New Jersey American football long snappers Old Dominion Monarchs football players Chicago Bears players Green Bay Packers players Washington Redskins players Philadelphia Eagles players National Conference Pro Bowl players