As Florida State prepares to play Florida this week, one Seminole will have a slightly better idea of what to expect than the other 'Noles.

Starting deep snapper Zack Aronson began his career at the University of Florida in 2006 but left in the spring of '07 looking for a change.

"I wasn't really happy with the situation I was in," Aronson said. "Athletically I didn't think I was going to get to play while I was there, and academically I wasn't doing that well. I wasn't that happy with how I was doing overall, so I wanted a change, and I came here."

Aronson joined Florida State's football team in the spring of 2008 after spending the previous year at Tallahassee Community College. At Florida, Aronson was frustrated because he didn't see an opportunity to compete for playing time, but FSU offered him the exact opposite, a wide-open competition for the starting position.

In the spring, Aronson competed against fellow long snappers Jeremiah Thomas and Jay Culpepper for the starting job. But after weeks of practice, none of the three really separated themselves from the others.

"We were a little nervous in the spring about what our long snapping situation was going to be," special teams coordinator Jody Allen said.

Inspired by the opportunity, Aronson worked all summer to make sure the job was his. And during preseason practice, Allen named him the starter.

"You could tell that Zack really wanted the job and he would do whatever he had to do to earn the job," said holder and back-up punter Shaun Powell.

While Aronson did truly want the job and worked extremely hard to get it this summer, he didn't exactly grow up dreaming of snapping the ball on punts and field goals.

Like most kids, Aronson wanted to play quarterback for his high school team. But his older brother Matt, a senior at the time, had already created a bit of an Aronson family tradition at the defensive end position.

"I tried going out for quarterback," said Aronson, who attended Douglas High in Coral Springs, "but coach said I had to be a defensive end because my brother was one."

The coach also suggested Aronson try out for deep snapper. "And it's stuck ever since," Aronson said.

While he never got the chance to show his athleticism as a quarterback in high school, Florida State has given Aronson that opportunity by going with a spread punt formation. In that scheme, the deep snapper has to be able to get down field and break down the return man.

"He's not a world-class athlete, as coach Allen would say," Powell said. "But he spent the time in the spring and before the season started to come and run sprints and do agilities."

Aronson's work has paid off in that area as well. He has recorded one tackle on special teams, and he has downed the ball multiple times after punts.

One of Aronson's greatest thrills this season has been his role in FSU's field goal unit. With Aronson snapping and Powell holding, senior place-kicker Graham Gano has connected on 21 of 23 on field goal attempts, including a stretch of 18 straight. He also leads the nation with five field goals from 50 yards or more and was named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award this week.

"They both have to put their faith in me, but I have faith if I get it back there they will do the job," Aronson said.

Things haven't been all smooth sailing for Aronson this season, however. Against Miami, Aronson experienced the two worst snaps of his career. The first flew over punter Shaun Powell's hands, into the end zone, and Powell kicked the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Miami scored on its very next offensive play. Then, with the Seminoles clinging to a five-point lead, disaster struck Aronson again. This time on a punt snap, the ball bounced off of up-back Nigel Bradham, and the Hurricanes recovered the ball on the Seminoles' 4-yard line. They would go on to kick a field goal and cut FSU's lead to two points.

While he was disappointed in how he performed in front of his hometown, Aronson was able to take solace in the fact that FSU escaped with a 41-39 victory. Aronson never made excuses after the game; he just went back to work, which impressed Allen.

"He just focused and kept working, didn't make excuses," Allen said. "Although part of those bad snaps weren't his fault, he just kept working and has been stellar ever since."

With so many positive experiences during his brief Florida State career, Aronson refuses to let those two mistakes define his season. He hasn't had an issue on any snap since the game against Miami.

"I pretty much have forgotten what really happened and just pushed it out of my mind," Aronson said. "Every day is a new day."

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