Snyder signs with Lafayette

Ben Snyder is no stranger to Lafayette football.

Since middle school he's been attending the Leopards' summer camps.

The Northwestern senior will be spending a lot more time on the Easton campus for the next four years. After considering several other schools, Snyder decided to further his education and football career at Lafayette.

"I've been going to Lafayette for five years for camps," Snyder said. "I went to their one-day clinic and everything really clicked. I ran good times. I threw the ball well even though they're not recruiting me for quarterback.

"They really like me and I really like the coaches."

He's being recruited as a strong safety, but he's no stranger to switching positions to help his team. As a high school senior Snyder played quarterback and some receiver in order for the Tigers to take advantage of all his talents.

A four-year varsity player, he's also been Northwestern's starting corner back for the past two seasons and feels confident he can drop back to safety and get comfortable at that position.

"I think I have the size to play the position," he said. "It's just going to be a matter of getting used to it."

At 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, Snyder has prototypical size for a Football Championship Series (FCS) safety. If he should be asked to help the team at another position, he could probably do it. That's just one of the things that made him a Division I recruit.

"Versatility, athleticism, intelligence, depth, speed, size, that's everything you want out of an athlete," said Northwestern head coach Tom Linette. "Lafayette saw that. They took him because he's an athlete. The fact that he can run and he has strength and intelligence, he's going to fit in perfectly with that team."

Snyder considered Penn, Holy Cross, Millersville and Johns Hopkins before deciding on Lafayette for several reasons.

"The coaches are great guys," Snyder said. "I really connected with them. The facilities are bar none the best in the nation for FCS. The education is outstanding."

Snyder, who had 33 carries for 211 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and three touchdowns last year, hopes to see some playing time as soon as this fall. However, he knows that going from the Colonial League to the Patriot League is a pretty big jump. Defensive backs coach Doug McFadden has already let Snyder know that playing time can be earned.

"It's going to be a big adjustment," Snyder said. "The speed is going to be ridiculous. Coach McFadden told me that if I work really I can get in on special teams and work my way up on the depth chart."

With his high school career behind him, Snyder looks forward to his college career. He'll always remember those Friday nights in New Tripoli.

Despite missing out on the playoffs the past two seasons, Snyder and the Tigers made some great memories and won a few big games over the past two years.

Snyder's fondest memory comes from senior night last fall, when the Tigers broke out of a three-game losing streak by knocking off Bangor, 36-28.

"It was at a hard point in the season," he said. "It really defined this class's time here. We just didn't quit. That really summed it all up."

He's looking forward to more wins like that over the next four years in Easton.