Aiken might not be in the same company yet as Lonie Paxton, who spent nine seasons with the Patriots and was the long snapper for all three of the team’s Super Bowl victories. But as Super Bowl XLVI approaches, Aiken should have Patriots fans confident that he’s a capable replacement, mainly because he’s stayed out of the news.
“It’s not a glorified position,’’ Aiken said. “And it doesn’t need to be.’’
Said Gostkowski: “Snapping, kicking, and punting, you’d rather be seen and not heard. Danny’s been great. He comes in here and does his job every day, he’s been very consistent. He’s got a good attitude, which is tough to have sometimes as a rookie because you don’t know any better. He’s fit in very well, and has snapped very well all year.’’
Aiken is the Patriots’ fourth long snapper since Paxton left for the Broncos as a free agent after the 2008 season. Jake Ingram was here for the 2009 season and part of 2010, Matt Katula lasted less than season, and James Dearth was with the team for just one game - the preseason finale - before Aiken became available.
He’s held the job all season, and now finds himself going to the Super Bowl.
“You never know anything,’’ said Aiken, when asked about his unexpected introductory season in the NFL. “All you know is that with hard work and dedication, you can get to the places you want to be.’’
It got Aiken out of Roanoke, Va., where he did everything for Cave Spring High School, playing quarterback and on the defensive line. On a whim, he tried long snapping.
He quickly displayed a flair for it, which eventually attracted college recruiters. Aiken chose Virginia, where he was a four-year letterman. He signed with Buffalo after going undrafted, but the Bills waived him. So he came here, armed with a special skill and hoping to turn it into long-term employment. So far, so good.
A football team’s specialists can be an insular bunch, but Aiken didn’t take long to make an impression on the people he’d be working with most closely.
