Joe Shimko
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Belmar, New Jersey, U.S.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | September 30, 2000 Belmar, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Wall (NJ) |
| College: | NC State (2019–2023) |
| Position: | Long snapper |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Joe Shimko (born September 30, 2000) is an American professional football long snapper. He played college football at NC State.
Shimko was born in Belmar, New Jersey.[1] He played baseball and ran track, but only began football prior to his sophomore year at Wall High School.[2][3] Shimko sustained injuries playing running back and linebacker and questioned how long he would last playing the sport; his father then convinced him to try out long snapper, a position at which it is more common for players to have long careers.[2] He attended camps held by Chris Rubio but at an event in Las Vegas, was ranked only 80th out of 100 entrants for the Class of 2018.[2]
In the summer prior to his junior year, Shimko would long snap to his father 400 times each day (200 for each field goals and punts).[2] He quickly rose in Rubio's long snapping rankings and became the varsity starter that season at Wall.[2] As a senior, he posted 13 tackles, was named All-Division and played in the All-American Bowl.[4][5] Ranked a five-star recruit, the seventh-best long snapper by Rubio's camp and the fifth-best by 247Sports, he committed to play college football for the NC State Wolfpack.[4][6][7]
College career
Shimko became a starter at NC State as a true freshman in 2019, serving as the long snapper for all 108 of the team's kicks.[4] He then recorded 114 snaps in the 2020 season.[3] In 2021, Shimko was named a fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele.[8] The following year, he was a second-team All-American selection by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to the best long snapper nationally.[9] In 2023, he won the Patrick Mannelly Award; in his career, 61 games, he never made a bad snap.[10]
Professional career
Shimko signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2024.[11] On August 20, 2024, Shimko was released by the Cardinals.[12]
