Memorial Day weekend has passed, and hopefully between the beach, barbecue, beer and other things most people do on a holiday, you found time to reflect on those we have lost while serving in the armed forces. Yesterday, I spent some time thinking back on a Vietnam veteran from Sidney, Ohio, who we recently lost—many years after his military service ended.
Most Ohio State fans have probably never heard of longtime Ohio State sports information director Steve Snapp, who passed away last week after a lengthy illness. That’s kind of a shame, considering Snapp devoted 38 years of his life to Ohio State athletics.
I worked with Snapp during my time as sports editor of the Lantern, but I never truly knew the man, and in fact I learned later in life that I had often misunderstood him. We’ll come back to that.
As a United States Marine, Snapp served the first of his two tours in Vietnam in 1966, the year I was born. Another followed in 1967. During the Vietnam conflict Snapp earned two Purple Hearts and was likely a tougher SOB than I could ever hope to be.
In 1973, six years after his second tour, Snapp earned his bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University School of Journalism—the same place I got mine 23 years later. When I worked at the Lantern in the early 1990s, I had no idea I was following in Snapp’s footsteps. He was the student paper’s sports editor his senior year, and also began working as a student assistant in the OSU sports information office that year. I spent most of my time in 1973 going to grade school and watching Speed Racer.
Five years later, Snapp was named associate sports information director and held that position until 1987. After 14 years in Ohio State’s SID office, Snapp was named sports information director, becoming just the fourth person in history to hold that title.
I met him in the early 1990s. I was a wet-behind-the-ears fledgling sports journalist who wanted to suddenly revolutionize the Lantern’s sports section with "UNPRECEDENTED" (the all caps were in my head) coverage of the Buckeye football and basketball teams. I had dreams of longform pieces, where my writers would spend a day with a player and write flowing prose that would earn us journalistic awards.
It was beyond naïve. Access to players was limited even then and my little student paper wasn’t a very high priority for Snapp’s office. If Brent Musburger walked into the press box, it was like I didn’t even exist. This angered and frustrated me at the time, but Snapp absolutely had his priorities straight. As much as the Lantern was a big deal to me, a free newspaper given to the students of Ohio State was never going to move the needle. And the reality was, I was never going to get more than a page and a half to cover all of Ohio State's sports anyway.
Snapp had more demands on his time than I could fathom back then, and we weren’t Sports Illustrated, ESPN, ABC or The Sporting News. There were way more important journalists than me who couldn’t get the access to players they wanted. But Snapp accommodated when he could and where it would best benefit the school and athletic department.
Ohio State goes to great lengths to try to preserve the time demands of its athletes. We’d all love to spend time talking to the Joey Bosas of the world, but at some point, the kid has to study, go to class, practice, watch game film, and maybe get a few hours of sleep. As I got older and more experienced, I understood better what Snapp’s responsibilities were and why he did the things he did. When I went into public relations and worked for pro sports teams, I gained a new perspective and an appreciation for the way he did his job.
In 1998, Snapp became Ohio State’s director of external programs and two years later became director of Ohio State Athletics Communications, returning to his media relations roots. Shortly thereafter, in 2001, he received an Honorary Varsity "O" for his years of service. He later served as associate director of athletics for communications, associate athletics director for broadcasting, and senior advisor to the director of athletics, before leaving the department in 2011.
The last few years of his life, Snapp battled cancer and the aftereffects of a stroke with the same courage and determination that served him well as a Marine in Vietnam. Last Thursday, Snapp lost his final battle. He was 69.
But what a life he had. Many of us would love to attend 30 Ohio State bowl games, even if he did have to work like a plow horse while on site. He saw the Buckeyes to two Final Fours and helped promote award campaigns for four Heisman Trophy winners and countless other athletes.
I’ll remember Snapp every time I see those retired numbers in Ohio Stadium. It was he who initiated the jersey retirement system, after all. Spare a thought for him the next time you’re in the Horseshoe.
Godspeed, Steve.
