Top 50 Cal Pros: No. 50 -- Trio of Long Snappers Made Millions

We are counting down Cal’s top 50 athletes based on their careers as post-collegiate professionals. Their performance as Golden Bears is not factored into the rankings.

50. LONG SNAPPERS (DAVID BINN, L.P. LADOUCEUR, NICK SUNDBERG)

Years at Cal: Binn (1990 through 1993); Ladouceur (2001 through 2004); 1986-87 Sundberg (2005 through 2008)

Sport: Football

Pro teams: Binn (San Diego Chargers); Ladouceur (Dallas Cowboys); Sundberg (Washington)

Age: Binn 53, Ladouceur 44, Sundberg 37

Hometown: Binn (San Mateo, California); Ladouceur (Montreal, Quebec); Sundberg (Phoenix, Arizona)

Why we ranked them here: This is the only top-50 choice that features more than one athlete. Their odd position probably doesn’t warrant a spot on our list for any of them individually, but as a group the three long snappers are an impressive unit. Cal has become a pipeline to the NFL for long snappers. Binn, Ladouceur and Sundberg combined to play 44 NFL seasons (Binn 17, Ladouceur 16, Sundberg 11) and play 685 games, including 24 postseason games. Ladouceur and Sundberg combined to make $23.7 million during the NFL careers, and Binn earned $1.3 million in his highest earning season (before career earnings were available). It’s safe to say the three combined to make more than $30 million snapping the ball in the NFL. Binn was selected for the 2007 Pro Bowl, and he holds the Chargers record for most games played (256), which does not include 12 postseason games and one Super Bowl. He had one stretch of 179 consecutive games played. Ladouceur was chosen for the 2014 Pro Bowl, and he holds the Cowboys record for most consecutive games played and most seasons played. His 253 consecutive games played rank seventh alltime for all NFL position players. Sundberg played in 152 NFL games.

L.P. Ladouceur snaps for a Cowboys punt in 2020 | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

At Cal: Binn was a linebacker and long snapper at Cal, although he was much better as a long snapper. He played 42 games as the Bears long snapper. L.P. Ladouceur received a football scholarship to come to Cal, but did not become the team’s long snapper until his junior season. He served in that role for two seasons. Nick Sundberg planned to come to Cal as a walk-on, but when Colorado offered him a full scholarship, Cal countered with an offer to give him a scholarship immediately if he won the long-snapper job in preseason. He did just that, and was the Bears’ long snapper for four seasons. Sundberg was a Cal team captain as a senior.

David Binn snaps on a field-goal attempt by Cal's Doug Brien | Photo courtesy of Cal Athletics

Nick Sundberg prepares to snap for a Cal punt | Photo courtesy of Cal Athletics

Other: David Binn retired in August 2011, but he signed with the Denver Broncos on January 12, 2013 one day before their playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens . . . Binn dated Pamela Anderson in 2007 and 2008 . . . L.P. Ladouceur’s first name is Louis-Philippe and he is a Canadian-American. . . . Before coming to Cal, Ladouceur was a defensive lineman at John Abbott College, located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada. He had scholarship offers from Syracuse and Michigan State as well as Cal . . . . In a 2018 game against Washington, Ladouceur was penalized for an illegal snap, although he said he did the exact same thing he had been doing through the 14 years of his NFL career and had never been penalized. The 5-yard penalty led to a missed field goal that would have tied the game . . . Sundberg was the Redskins nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2017.