The Loyola Dons plowed over their opponents last season on their way to an 11-0 record and an MIAA A-Conference championship. Led by three Division-I recruits, an immovable defense, a gun-slinging quarterback and a roster full of hard-nosed, hungry seniors, the Dons couldn't be touched. They won every game by double-digits; they had four shutouts (including a 35-0 win over Calvert Hall in the Turkey Bowl); they put up 40 or more points five times.

With all those stars, it's not surprising that junior [db] Vince Snarski [/db] tended to fade into the background. When Terrence Garvin, Doug Shaw, Matt Heacock, Elliott Poehlman and Brandon Floyd are grabbing headlines, there's little a 5-foot-9 (pun intended) hybrid player can do to stand out.

Of course, Dons fans knew all about Vince Snarski – the human bowling ball who forced his way into the lineup.

"He did everything for us," Loyola's coach, Brian Abbott, said.

He wasn't kidding. Snarski lined up at cornerback, strong safety, free safety, outside linebacker, receiver, running back, kick returner and punt returner. He did everything? That's an understatement.

"I'm an athlete," Snarski said. "Tackle, catch, run -- I can do everything."

Snarski made it sound rather ordinary. But how did he handle all the play calls and the intricacies of each position?

Snarksi said Loyola kept their defensive schemes pretty simple, so regardless if he lined up at linebacker, corner or safety, he had similar responsibilities. On offense, once he learned the basic signals, he just let his natural ability take over.

"It wasn't too difficult rotating between running back and receiver," Snarski said. "Once you get the ball in your hands you just have to make plays."

He made his fair share in 2008.

On the second possession of the second half against Gilman, Snarski line up in the slot. He ran a post-corner route, got behind the defensive backs and caught a 60-yard touchdown pass after racing down the sideline.

"You don't get many big plays against Gilman," Abbott said. "And for him to execute that was huge."

In an earlier game against Gonzaga, Snarski showed off his return skills. Gonzaga's punter sent the ball over Snarksi's head, but instead of going into the end zone, it died at the 1-yard line. Snarski sprinted back and picked up the ball. He dodged a tackler, maneuvered his way up field, then cut to the outside and dashed down the sideline. Gonzaga didn't catch him until he was on their 40-yard line.

Snarski loves when the ball is in his hands – when he can be a playmaker.

"I'm an offensive type of player. I love running the ball," Snarski said. "I can stay on my feet and avoid tacklers. I'm a finesse type of runner, but I have power and can make moves like Ray Rice. I don't run people over, but when guys hit me I don't go down."

Snarski may only be 5-foot-9, but he has uncommon strength for a player his size. He benches 300 pounds and has a squat over 400.

"At 5-foot-9, 190 pounds, he packs a wallop," Abbott said. "He's strong as an ox. He's a powerful young man with great explosiveness."

Unfortunately for Snarski, power only accounts for so much in the eyes of recruiters. Height, speed and bulk are of the utmost importance, and Snarski is somewhat lacking in all three. He can't do much about his height, but he's working on the latter two. His strength is concentrated in his legs, so he needs to build his upper body. In the 40-yard dash, he clocked in at 4.57. He must get that time down to a 4.4 if he wants to follow his superstar teammates to Division I schools.

"When you're not tall, colleges want to see superior quickness. You have to make up for it with speed," Abbott said. "And those Division-I schools have that height and weight chart to go by and that could hurt him, too."

Snarski has received mild interest from Rutgers, but right now he's looking at Division I-AA schools. Stony Brook, Brown and Elon have talked to him, and Abbott is trying to stir up interest from the Colonial Athletic Association and the Patriot League.

Another "problem" is Snarski doesn't have a position. Abbott said it's hard to project where he'll play in college, and Snarski said he'll probably have to go in with the "athlete" label (in other words, he'll play wherever the team needs him).

Abbott, however, sees Snarski's versatility as an advantage.

"When colleges see his film, his versatility will change their minds about him," Abbott said. "He's a football player and he's a tough kid."

If Snarski had his way, he'd be a running back, a position he didn't get to play much last year (he played second fiddle to Garvin). But next season he'll get his opportunity.

"You kind of get used to having all those good players around, but next year is going to be a lot different," Snarski said. "We don't have as many Division I-type players back. The juniors are really going to have to step it up."

One thing is clear: Snarski won't be in the shadows any longer.