Twenty questions with former Ohio State long snapper Liam McCullough

You know him. You love him. You probably can’t imagine an Ohio State football season without him. Liam McCullough was a fan-favorite during his four years as Ohio State’s long snapper—and not just for his dang near perfection at his position. Buckeye Nation came for his long snapping, and stayed for his hilarious antics off the field.

For example, this picture of McCullough wearing a shirt with a picture of himself wearing a shirt with a picture of himself wearing a shirt with a...you get it.

And this bottle cap challenge video which was picked up by media outlets across the nation. Your long snapper could NEVER.

During his recruitment, he was rated the No. 1 long snapper in the country by 247Sports and is only the second long snapper in Ohio State history to earn a scholarship offer straight out of high school. During his four seasons as a Buckeye, he played in every single game but one (the 2016 Oklahoma game) due to illness, and handled every last one of his snaps flawlessly. He is a three-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten honoree, a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and gosh darn-it we’re going to miss him being a part of this football team.

Selfishness aside, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for McCullough. The NFL is almost positively on the horizon, but even if its not (it is) there’s no doubt in our minds he’ll absolutely crush his next venture.

In the meantime, however, we caught up with McCullough to ask him about his time at Ohio State, his favorite meal, his celebrity crush, most embarrassing moment, and more. If you didn’t already miss him, this will surely do the trick.

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LGHL: What is your most memorable moment from your time at Ohio State?

McCullough: On the field, my most memorable moments would be beating TTUN in 2016, beating Penn State in 2017, and doing the Stadium Ohio chant with Buckeye Nation three separate years in the Big House. Off the field, I’ll never forget learning all of the specialist traditions from Bryce and Aaron, game day walks with my unit and Coach Niko, and FIFA session with Nuern, Blake, and Mike.

LGHL: What song instantly puts you in a good mood?

McCullough: “It Rains It Pours” by Luke Combs- I went through that same cycle he sings about throughout high school and three years of college and was miserable. I broke out of the cycle (with huge help from Nuern and Coach Quinn) and never looked back. Any time I hear that song I think about my blessings and it just makes me smile.

LGHL: How did Urban Meyer and Ryan Day compare as coaches? How did they differ?

McCullough: Coach Meyer and Coach Day are both offensive geniuses and incredible leaders. Both do an incredible job of teaching- not showing and asking for repetition, but making sure that every player understands every aspect of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, to the point that it becomes muscle memory and habit and players can execute at a very high level without thinking. Regarding how they differ, Coach Meyer was very authoritative as an established, well-respected living legend of a coach. He was very intense and decided, but enjoyed having fun and joking around when it was appropriate. He would give his own life for any one of his players if they were willing to give everything they had to the team. Coach Day had the same loyalty and sense of culture that Coach Meyer did, as he spent two years as an assistant under him, but was very cordial and personable as well- though he was able to turn up the intensity to 11 when he needed to. Coach Day was also a student of the game- asking questions in meetings and learning from assistant coaches and players alike.

LGHL: Biggest pet peeve?

McCullough: When people start telling a story but never get to the point… perfect example:

LGHL: Favorite Ohio State tradition?

McCullough: Beating That Team Up North every year.

(author’s note: the fact that he considers this a “tradition” is... beautiful)

LGHL: If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?

McCullough: I would want to have dinner with Jesus Christ. I would want to hear his view on society today, and on today’s version of Christianity.

LGHL: Being from Columbus, Ohio, did you even consider going to any other schools or was it always gonna be Ohio State?

McCullough: At first I was willing to go to any school that had offered me a scholarship, but when Ohio State pulled the trigger there wasn’t a trace of doubt in my mind.

LGHL: If you were given a last meal, what would it be?

McCullough: Easily a double-cut porterhouse from Peter Luger in Brooklyn, with German fried potatoes, onion rings, bacon, and an apple strudel.

LGHL: Who do you look up to as a role model? (Football-related or not)

McCullough: I really admire one of my mentors, Justin Snow. Justin snapped for the Colts for 12 years, won a Super Bowl, loves the Lord, and is happily married with four kids- that’s everything I want in life.

LGHL: What was your degree in?

McCullough: Finance with a focus in investment management.

LGHL: Assuming your brother picks up where you left off, you guys are kind of like the long snapping version of the Bosa brothers. Do you think your brother can fill your shoes next season?

McCullough: I think he’s very capable of filling my shoes next season. Roen is young but he works incredibly hard and is his own biggest critic. He’s always looking to improve as a snapper, athlete, and teammate and if he keeps working with his head down and a chip on his shoulder he’s more than capable of taking over at long snapper next season.

LGHL: Most embarrassing moment?

McCullough: Getting torn apart by Coach Coombs in just about every kicking meeting in front of the whole team my first two years at Ohio State- I felt like I was the worst snapper that ever played football, but his intensity has molded me to not accept anything short of perfection when it comes to my craft.

LGHL: What are your plans for the off season?

McCullough: I’m currently training for Ohio State’s pro day. I train seven days a week- split between speed training at Ohio State, strength training at Grandview Pro Fitness, and snapping training in Indianapolis with Justin Snow.

LGHL: Advice to next year’s seniors?

McCullough: Take a step back your final year and really enjoy it. Realize what a blessing it is to be where you are, doing what you are doing, and don’t wait until you’re running out of the tunnel on Senior Day to soak it all in, because your senior season will fly by in the blink of an eye.

LGHL: Ideal NFL team to play for?

McCullough: Any team that will give me a chance.

LGHL: If you had to pick a favorite season from your time at Ohio State, which would it be and why?

McCullough: Probably the 2019 season- we had an incredible group of guys on the team and in the unit, and this past season was the culmination of all of the adversity I had faced and work I had put in during my five years at Ohio State. I know the season didn’t end the way any of us wanted or thought it would, but that’s the game of football, that’s life, and though it still hurts to think about, life goes on.

LGHL: Celebrity crush?

McCullough: Kaley Cuoco- ever since the first episode of the Big Bang Theory aired.

LGHL: How did you find your talent for long snapping? In other words, have you always been at this position or did you transition at some point?

McCullough: I played other positions before college, but I was always the long snapper. I started snapping in youth booster football just because they needed someone to do it, then I continued to snap in middle school. Going into my freshman season of high school football, my varsity head coach Vince Trombetti recognized my talent for snapping, pulled me into his office, and invited me to be the varsity team’s long snapper that season. After the season, my dad and I researched long snapping coaches and found Chris Rubio of Rubio Long Snapping. I began attending his camps and showcases, which led to summer camps at different universities which led to scholarships, and the rest is history.

LGHL: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Was the NFL ever on your radar before college?

McCullough: When I was young I always wanted to be a chef. Everyone in my house growing up was able to cook well and my family’s life in certain aspects revolved around an appreciation for good food and wine. Cooking is my number one passion outside of football and has been since I was little. Some kids grew up watching Disney; I grew up watching the Food Network.

The NFL wasn’t on my radar before college, and really wasn’t on my radar until going into my senior season at OSU. My mindset was always “I’m going to be the absolute best I can be at this level, and then focus on attacking the next level.” In my mind, I couldn’t worry about being an NFL long snapper until I was the best long snapper I could be for Ohio State- and I strove to be the best I could for my team through December 28^th in Phoenix.

LGHL: Buckeye Nation is certainly going to miss you, but excited to see what the future holds for you— Anything you’d like to tell your fans?

McCullough: I just wanted to say thank you to Buckeye Nation for everything. I knew I was going to fly under the radar for most of my career, and I was ok with that. I wanted to do two things- I wanted to live out a dream I had since watching Craig Krenzel and Chris Gamble in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, and I wanted to contribute to greatness. One of the biggest blessings I’ve ever received in my life is being able to put on the Scarlet and Gray, and I remember all five years of it. I remember sitting under the stands in Blacksburg, Virginia and not being able to take my eyes off of a jersey- a jersey with a Block O on the front and with my name on the back. I remember looking through my legs in Madison, Wisconsin at Cam and Tyler and knowing we would send it to overtime to win the game. I remember the same situation a few weeks later in the Shoe. I remember kneeling on the sideline praying for a miracle and hearing all of Columbus erupt as JT hit Marcus in the endzone to take the one point lead. I remember looking out over the edge of the stadium to see the sun setting over the San Gabriel mountains and realizing where I was and what game I was playing in. I remember standing on stage with my brothers in Indianapolis as back-to-back-to-back B1G Champions. I remember all of those moments and every moment in between, and remember Buckeye Nation being there and supporting us through it all. Thank you, Buckeye Nation, for letting a kid from Columbus live his dream.