Sport: Football
Born: December 29, 1983
Town: Toms River, New Jersey
Jason Michael Snelling was born December 29, 1983 in Toms River, NJ. He was one of three sons born to Lillian and John Snelling. The Snellings moved to Chester, Virginia, when Jason was young. He and his brothers were big, fast, sure-handed football players who excelled in youth leagues and later for J.C. Bird High School. Jason was also an excellent student.
Jason started all four years for coaches Ron Paquette and Dave Bedwell at J.C. Bird, racking up over 3,000 rushing yards. At 5’11” and over 200 pounds, Jason projected as a big-college fullback. He was delighted to be offered a scholarship from the University of Virginia. After red-shirting his sophomore year due to epilepsy, he became the team’s starting fullback in 2005 and 2006, competing in his final varsity season as a graduate student. His yards per carry average is still among the best in school history. Jason sometimes lined up as a tight end for the Cavaliers—a skill that did not go unnoticed by the pros.
Jason was drafted in 2007 by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round. He saw limited action in his first two seasons, but earned the admiration of the Falcon faithful with his gung-ho play on special teams. He then had a breakout year in 2009. Teaming with Michael Turner in the backfield, the man nicknamed “Big Snell” by Atlanta fans ran for over 600 yards and caught 30 passes. In 2010, Jason caught a career-best 44 passes.
Jason’s best game came against Tampa Bay at the end of the 2009 season, when he rushed for 147 yards. The victory gave the Falcons the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. Throughout his NFL career—during which he kept his epilepsy under control—Jason was the leader of the special teams unit. His last season was 2013 and he retired at age 30 prior to the 2014 season. After football, Jason worked with the Epilepsy Foundation and was an in-demand speaker. He shared tales of his football exploits and helped dispel myths about his condition.