Jackson Knotts, long snapper for the Texas Tech football team, talks about his latest career plans after track and field.
Jackson Knotts, long snapper for the Texas Tech football team, talks about his latest career plans after track and field.
Jackson Knotts may have thought that when the Texas Tech football team played in the Big 12 and in stadiums the size of Jones AT&T Stadium, there was more pressure and more.
This summer, he’s learned more about real pressure. The Red Raiders deep snapper is pursuing a pilot’s license and hopes to one day fly for commercial airlines. On Sunday, a day off after the Red Raiders’ first preseason practice game, he made his second solo flight.
“Talking to air traffic control stresses me out more than taking pictures at a big game,” Knotts said. “You don’t want to do anything wrong because you’ll confuse everyone.”
“I’m in a little Piper Cherokee, right? And they tell the Southwest 737 to wait behind me. I’m thinking, ‘Oh, crap, if I screw up this landing, I’m going to screw up the day of 200 people right behind me.'”
The senior from Plant City, Florida, said he spent his days off learning at Hub City Aviation.
“I’ve always liked it,” Knotts said, “but I just started doing it this summer. I thought, ‘You know what? It’s time to stop thinking about it and just do it.’ I did it all summer and I really enjoyed it.”
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Knotts’ other main task this summer is rehabbing from knee surgery for a torn ligament he suffered in the final game of the 2023 regular season at Texas. Tech coach Joey McGuire has said more than once since the end of spring practice that Knotts is headed for an early-season return.
Whether he will be cleared for the season opener on August 31 against Abilene Christian could be decided in the home stretch.
“I have an appointment next week,” he said Monday. “I don’t know exactly what they’re going to say, but as good as I feel right now, I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t let me play.”
Knotts joined the program as a walk-on and was the Red Raiders’ deep snapper from the first game of his 2021 freshman season until he injured his knee on Thanksgiving weekend in Texas. When he missed Tech’s season-ending win over California in the Independence Bowl, his 38-game streak as a starter at the position ended.
“It was a long eight to nine months,” Knotts said. “I couldn’t carry anything for nine weeks, it was the worst nine weeks of my life. I hated crutches so much. I come in every morning at 5:45 and do (the rehab) before training.
“I’ve noticed that you have to be consistent. You can’t take a day off. I try to challenge myself every day and push myself beyond the limits I thought I had. I think that’s really shown because I feel great about training right now.”
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Although Knotts has been a consistent presence on Tech’s special teams for three seasons, the lineup around him is changing. Austin McNamara, who served as the Red Raiders’ punter for the past five years in addition to being a place kick holder, is gone.
Replacing McNamara for both duties is Jack Burgess, a transfer from Weber State whose punting statistics last season were virtually identical to McNamara’s. Burgess’ punting average of 47.2 yards and net throw of 42.0 yards ranked second in the FCS. He is one of many rugby punters trained in the Prokick Australia program.
“Right now I’m really focused on field goal snaps,” Knotts said, “but we’re trying to get the laces perfect so Jack can put the ball down without turning it over. That’s our goal. … We’re just trying to get it just right: Perfect laces, easy catch, easy put down.”
