Panthers Confuse Long Snapper Thomas Fletcher By Drafting Him

You want a fun NFL Draft story to get your Monday rolling? It doesn't get much better than what happened to Alabama long snapper Thomas Fletcher on Saturday when he got a call from Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, who asked Fletcher, "You comin' or what?"

Rhule was about to select Fletcher in the 6th round of the NFL Draft, but the Bama long snapper assumed Rhule was asking if he'd be interested in signing with Carolina as an undrafted free agent, which is a whole different ballgame. As an UDFA, Fletcher would have a choice of where to go and that would allow him to analyze team needs and where he'd have the best chance to make a roster.

The Panthers went ahead and took care of things for Fletcher. He was being drafted and pretty much guaranteed a salary for at least one season unless something crazy happens between now and the team's first game of the season.

"Trying to figure it out right now," Fletcher says to Rhule.

"No no no no, I just drafted you. You comin' or what?" the Panthers head coach asks again.

Fletcher then realizes he's on the shortlist of long snappers selected in the NFL Draft. Long snappers have been on a hot streak in the NFL Draft with one selected the last seven years. Fletcher, who started every game of his Alabama career, is now set up to have a long, financially secure NFL career.

"I'll walk my happy ass to Carolina right now, dude," the draft pick told Panthers billionaire owner David Tepper. "I'll crawl on my hands and knees, bro."

And with that, Thomas Fletcher has a new job right out of college.