A few minutes with ...

FOXBOROUGH – Long snapper Lonie Paxton spends a few minutes reflecting on his introduction to football, growing up in California, and some of his outside interests:

When did you start playing football?
“I didn’t start playing contact football until I was in high school. I was too fat as a kid and didn’t make the weight requirements. I played a lot of basketball and baseball. I raced BMX bikes and did other things.”

Where did you grow up?
“Carona, California, which is outside of Newport Beach, North County, about an hour north of San Diego.”

What was it like?
“Hot. In the valley, it would get up to 120 degrees sometimes. It was a small town, but it’s one of the fastest growing towns in California.”

What are some of your memories of growing up there?
“A lot of my friends did action sports, BMX, riding dirt bikes, snowboarding, surfing, a lot of beach activities. Always going to the beach with the family. My dad had season tickets to the L.A. Rams, and that’s kind of how I got into football and long snapping.”

What was it about the Rams’ games that sparked your interest in the game?
“My dad’s tickets were at about the 35-yard line, 20 rows back. He was one of those guys who would tailgate but then he would have to be in real early to see all the pre-game stuff. We’d watch all the action on the field and all the ballboys catching punts. The snapper came out early, and right in front us, he was always warming up. We’d watch that and key on how precise he was. I didn’t aspire to be a long snapper, but I would go home and try what I saw. That’s how it progressed.”

Who was the snapper?
“Mike McDonald.”

Did you start snapping in college?
“I started in high school. I was the kid who raised his hand and said he could do it, because I had seen it and practiced it at home. I ended up snapping on varsity for three years. I also played offensive line. So when college came around, I said ‘I want to be an offensive lineman’ but I didn’t have the size as the other offensive linemen. I thought I was a decent lineman but because I didn’t have the size, the big colleges didn’t look at me. Sacramento State came around and said ‘We’ll have you play o-line but we need you to snap right now.’”

How long do you want to do this? Some snappers have played a long time.
“As long as I can be good and productive, and do my job and handle my role consistently and have my body stay healthy. A lot of it has to do with your core training and keeping your back and elbows in shape. As long as those types of things hold up, I’d like to do it as long as I can. It’s been a great ride so far. It’s fun for my family and to have this experience to share.”

How big is your family?
“I’m not married quite yet; I’ve dated a girl for about a year and a half, close to two years. There is my mother and father, and I have two brothers and a sister. My aunts and uncles, too. We don’t have a very large family but everyone loves the fact that I play and they take a lot of pride in our success, and the future, and being able to be part of this organization for the last nine years. It’s been a fun ride.”

What would be a good day for you outside of Gillette Stadium?
“It changes from coast to coast. On a day in Boston, I’m more relaxation, kind of on the couch, or going to the movies, looking at emails, helping out with my foundation over the phone. If I’m on the West Coast, I’m out on the beach, hitting the mountains, I like to go mountain biking, riding four-wheelers, and snowboarding, kind of all those outdoor activities.”

What is your foundation?
“We build adaptive sports equipment. It’s called Active Force Foundation and we engineer and develop adaptive sports equipment. We’re working on putting programs together. If you’re in a wheelchair, we have winter programs where you can go in the mountains, rent a ski, and have an instructor teach you. We’re trying to develop summer programs, with four-wheel mountain bikes. It evens the playing field, and gives everyone two legs and two arms, and create an all-for-one type atmosphere.”