Snoddy details track exploits

He broke the school record (6.77) with a 6.75 in the finals of the Auburn Indoor Invitational in Birmingham, Ala., placing sixth in the event. Snoddy, who last ran track as a high school senior in the spring of 2011, conceded he was pretty impressed. Of the five finishers ahead of him, three went to the U.S. Olympic trials last summer.

Track coach Grover Hinsdale “was pretty happy,” Snoddy said. “He just told me it was my first track meet , so once I get everything cleaned up, I’ll be O.K.”

The track team competes Friday and Saturday at the Rod McCravy Invitational at Kentucky.

Snoddy, 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, said he went to coach Paul Johnson after the season to tell him he wanted to try running track. Johnson told him that as long as he kept up on his schoolwork and with the team’s offseason strength and conditioning program, he could do it. Snoddy has been attending both track practice and the offseason football workouts in the afternoon.

He also plans to run the outdoor track season, but will leave the track team to participate in spring practice and then return after it concludes. He hopes to run a sub-10.3 in the 100. A 10.30 would have placed him fifth in the ACC last year.

Said Snoddy, “It’s not going to interfere with football.”

Snoddy said he hopes to earn more playing time at B-back through his work in spring practice. As a redshirt freshman, Snoddy played behind David Sims and Zach Laskey, finishing with 13 carries for 50 yards and one touchdown. Sims and Laskey will also return, as will Matt Connors. True freshman Marcus Allen, who redshirted this past season, could move to linebacker. Going to A-back is a possibility, but he said that “I feel more comfortable playing B-back because it’s just north and south. I’ll be able to use my speed going downhill.”

Snoddy played the B-back spot in a similar offense at Carrollton High.