{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Joe Shimko | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | current_team = Free agent | number = | position = Long snapper | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|9|30}} | birth_place = Belmar, New Jersey, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lb = 230 | high_school = Wall (NJ) | college = NC State (2019–2023) | undraftedyear = 2024 | pastteams = * Arizona Cardinals ({{NFL Year|2024}})* | status = Active | highlights = * Patrick Mannelly Award (2023) * First-team All-American (2023) * Second-team All-American (2022) | pfr = }} '''Joe Shimko''' (born September 30, 2000) is an American professional football long snapper. He played college football at NC State.
==Early life== Shimko was born in Belmar, New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4430475/joe-shimko|publisher=ESPN|title=Joe Shimko}}</ref> He played baseball and ran track, but only began football prior to his sophomore year at Wall High School.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.fayobserver.com/story/sports/2022/06/23/joe-shimko-nc-state-football-long-snapper/7580572001/|newspaper=The Fayetteville Observer|title=NC State football finds perfection in Joe Shimko. Is he the nation's best long snapper?|date=June 23, 2022|author=Thompson, David}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/joe-shimko|website=Sports Illustrated|title=NFL Draft Profile: Joe Shimko, Long Snapper, North Carolina State Wolfpack|date=December 31, 2022}}</ref> Shimko sustained injuries playing running back and linebacker and questioned how long he would last playing the sport; his father then convinced him to try out long snapper, a position at which it is more common for players to have long careers.<ref name="auto"/> He attended camps held by Chris Rubio but at an event in Las Vegas, was ranked only 80th out of 100 entrants for the Class of 2018.<ref name="auto"/>
In the summer prior to his junior year, Shimko would long snap to his father 400 times each day (200 for each field goals and punts).<ref name="auto"/> He quickly rose in Rubio's long snapping rankings and became the varsity starter that season at Wall.<ref name="auto"/> As a senior, he posted 13 tackles, was named All-Division and played in the All-American Bowl.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://gopack.com/sports/football/roster/joe-shimko/12823|publisher=NC State Wolfpack|title=Joe Shimko}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-coast-star/136720962/|newspaper=The Coast Star|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 31, 2020|page=22, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-coast-star/136721016/ 23]|author=Bardsley, Len|title=College football has been a snap for Shimko}} {{Open access}}</ref> Ranked a five-star recruit, the seventh-best long snapper by Rubio's camp and the fifth-best by 247Sports, he committed to play college football for the NC State Wolfpack.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-coast-star/136719697/|newspaper=The Coast Star|via=Newspapers.com|date=June 28, 2018|page=57|title=Wall's Shimko lands at NC State for long snapping|author=Young, Adam}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-coast-star/136719744/|newspaper=The Coast Star|via=Newspapers.com|date=March 22, 2018|page=52|title=Wall's Shimko continues excellence in long snapping|author=Young, Adam}} {{Open access}}</ref>
==College career== Shimko became a starter at NC State as a true freshman in 2019, serving as the long snapper for all 108 of the team's kicks.<ref name="auto1"/> He then recorded 114 snaps in the 2020 season.<ref name="auto2"/> In 2021, Shimko was named a fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://247sports.com/Article/shimko-durden-named-to-prestigious-preseason-watch-lists-190841100/|website=247Sports|title=Shimko, Durden named to prestigious preseason watch lists|date=August 1, 2022|author=Smith, R. Cory}}</ref> The following year, he was a second-team All-American selection by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, given to the best long snapper nationally.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.app.com/story/sports/college/2023/08/30/nc-state-football-wall-high-school-joe-shimko-long-snapper/70703570007/|newspaper=Asbury Park Press|url-access=subscription|title=NC State Wolfpack football: Wall NJ grad Joe Shimko|date=August 30, 2023}}</ref> In 2023, he won the Patrick Mannelly Award; in his career, 61 games, he never made a bad snap.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gopack.com/news/2023/12/9/football-joe-shimko-takes-home-patrick-mannelly-award-named-nations-best-long-snapper|publisher=NC State Wolfpack|title=Joe Shimko Takes Home Patrick Mannelly Award, Named Nation's Best Long Snapper|date=December 9, 2023}}</ref>
==Professional career== Shimko signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|title=After Big Draft Class, Cardinals Agree With 3 Undrafted Rookies|url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/after-big-draft-class-cardinals-agree-with-3-undrafted-rookies|author=Urban, Darren|website=AZCardinals.com|date=April 29, 2024}}</ref> On August 20, 2024, Shimko was released by the Cardinals.<ref>{{cite web|title= Cardinals Sign UFL Special Teams Player Of The Year|url=https://www.azcardinals.com/news/cardinals-sign-former-ufl-special-teams-player-of-the-year-chris-garrett|author=Gershman, Zach|website=AZCardinals.com|date=August 20, 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Off the field, Shimko has been active in charitable organizations, having helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for different groups.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer/136720725/|newspaper=News & Observer|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 17, 2022|page=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-and-observer/136720791/ B4]|author=Pope IV, Jonas|title='Trying To Help'}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-sun/136720845/|newspaper=The Herald-Sun|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 16, 2023|page=B2|title=NC State football player honored for volunteer work|author=Watson-Fisher, Jadyn}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-coast-star/136720887/|newspaper=The Coast Star|via=Newspapers.com|date=August 17, 2023|page=44|author=Dailey, Chris|title=Shimko is an All-American both on and off the field}} {{Open access}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://gopack.com/sports/football/roster/joe-shimko/12823 NC State bio]
{{Patrick Mannelly Award}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shimko, Joe}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:American football long snappers Category:Players of American football from Monmouth County, New Jersey Category:People from Belmar, New Jersey Category:Sportspeople from Wall Township, New Jersey Category:Wall High School (New Jersey) alumni Category:NC State Wolfpack football players Category:Arizona Cardinals players