| Michael Vinson | |
| Currentteam: | Indianapolis Colts |
| Number: | 65 |
| Position: | Long snapper |
| Birth Date: | 27 August 1999[1] |
| Birth Place: | Winnetka, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lb: | 242 |
| High School: | New Trier (Winnetka, Illinois) |
| College: | Notre Dame (2018–2023) |
| Highlights: |
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| Undraftedyear: | 2024 |
| Pastteams: |
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| Status: | Undrafted free agent |
Michael Vinson (born August 27, 1999) is an American football long snapper. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was a first-team All-American in 2022.
Vinson was born in Winnetka, Illinois.[2] He first began snapping footballs when in fifth grade and over time became more interested about being a long snapper.[3] When in eighth grade, he read an article about John Shannon, a long snapper for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and decided his goal was to be like him.[4] He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka and was put on the freshman "B" football team in his first year.[4] He attended Chris Rubio's long snapping camps afterwards and his career began to "blossom" as a sophomore and junior.[4] Prior to his senior year, he won a competition at Notre Dame and was given a preferred walk-on opportunity.[4] He committed to play college football for the Fighting Irish even though Army had offered an athletic scholarship and several other schools had shown interest.[5] [6]
Vinson was backup to his inspiration, John Shannon, during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.[4] As a freshman in 2018, he saw no playing time.[3] He received the nickname "Milk" that year, by which he is often known.[6] The nickname originated from head coach Brian Kelly dubbing the starting special teams squad the "Cheese Unit."[4] As Vinson was a freshman and had not yet become a starter, he had not yet earned "his cheese status."[4] He recalled that he had been in coach Kelly's way in the locker room, and Kelly told him "Get out of my way, Milk!" and the name stuck.[4]
Vinson saw his first playing time for Notre Dame in the 2019 season, seeing limited action against the Bowling Green Falcons and New Mexico Lobos.[3] He also handled long snapping duties in practice while Shannon dealt with an injury in order to save Shannon for games.[6] Vinson was poised to be a starter in 2020 after Shannon graduated, but the team then brought in on scholarship Alex Peitsch, ranked the best high school player at the position.[6] Making things more difficult, the practice schedule was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, giving him little time to prove whether he was a better option than Peitsch.[6] Despite his situation, Vinson was able to win the job after impressing in the preseason practices.[6] He appeared in every game in the 2020 season and helped Notre Dame reach the Rose Bowl.[7] [8] He repeated playing every game in 2021 and was put on scholarship after the season.[9] [10]
Prior to the 2022 season, Vinson signed a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with the American Dairy Association of Indiana.[11] He again played every game in 2022 and at the end of the year was selected first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).[9] [12] He returned for a final season in 2023, citing hopes of a future National Football League (NFL) career.[3]