Abner Kirk "Trey" Junkin III (born January 23, 1961) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...

long snapper In American football, the long snapper (or deep snapper) is a center on special teams whose duty is to snap the football over a longer distance, typically around 15 yards during punts, and 7–8 yards during field goals and extra point at ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

. Junkin played college football at

Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activ ...

. Although considered one of the forefathers of the modern long snappers, Junkin also played at the

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...

and

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...

positions.

Early years

Junkin attended Northeast High School in

North Little Rock, Arkansas North Little Rock is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, across the Arkansas from Little Rock in the central part of the state. The population was 64,591 at the 2020 census. In 2019 the estimated population was 65,903, making it the seventh-mo ...

, and was a football star.

Professional career

Junkin played 19 seasons in the NFL for six different teams:

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division ...

(1983–1984),

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

(1984), Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders (1985–1989, 1996),

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 a ...

(1990–1995),

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division, an ...

(1996–2001), plus a single game with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

in 2002. Primarily a long snapper and special teams player throughout his career, Junkin started out as a linebacker and later moved to tight end. It is his one game with the Giants for which Junkin is most remembered. The Giants coaxed the retired veteran back to replace an injured

Dan O'Leary Daniel O'Leary (October 22, 1856 – June 24, 1922), also known as "Hustlin' Dan", was an American Major League Baseball player from Detroit. He played in the outfield sparingly for five seasons with five different teams from to . The last ...

. In a 2002 Wild Card playoff game against the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

, Junkin botched a snap on a field goal attempt that could have won the game for the Giants, who had squandered a 38-14 lead. Holder Matt Allen attempted to pass the ball to Rich Seubert, but it fell incomplete. There was an uncalled pass interference penalty on the play, which could have led to another field goal attempt as a result of off-setting penalties, as the Giants were penalized for having an ineligible man downfield. Junkin took full responsibility and said that the Giants lost this game because of him. This play ultimately became #10 on NFL Top 10's ''Top Ten Meltdowns'' and ''Top Ten Controversial Calls'' at #7. After the 2002 NFL season, Junkin went on to coach in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ...

for the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third ...

. After a short stint with the Stampeders, he rejoined his family in

Winnfield, Louisiana Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield.

. Junkin is now the defensive coordinator for his son Connor's high school football team, the Winnfield Senior High Tigers. Junkin is the older brother of former NFL

Mike Junkin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Junkin, Trey 1961 births Living people People from Conway, Arkansas American football tight ends American football long snappers Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football players Buffalo Bills players Washington Redskins players Los Angeles Raiders players Seattle Seahawks players Oakland Raiders players Arizona Cardinals players New York Giants players Calgary Stampeders coaches