When the Steelers used a sixth-round draft pick on long snapper Colin Holba in the spring, it was assumed he'd be playing a lot of postseason games at Heinz Field over the course of what might be a 15-year NFL career.
After all, the man he was drafted to replace, Greg Warren, had been with the team for more than a decade, playing in 184 career regular season and 15 postseason games.
But a funny thing happened along the way. Kameron Canaday, signed in late February as an afterthought, wasn't going to go quietly into the night. He'd already been released once, by the Arizona Cardinals, and wasn't about to let it happen again.
To say it was a fierce battle between Holba and Canaday would be... well, a really big overstatement. In fact, it was all but assumed that Holba would be the Steelers' replacement for Warren when the regular season began.
Sunday, however, when the Steelers host Jacksonville in an AFC Divisional Playoff game, will be the first time Holba gets an opportunity to play in a regular season game at Heinz Field. But he will do so as a member of the visiting Jaguars after being beaten out in training camp by Canaday.
Such is the life of a long snapper in the NFL.
Canaday said he hasn't stayed in touch with Holba after he was released by the Steelers Sept. 2. But he was happy to see Holba get picked up Nov. 14 by Jacksonville when the Jaguars regular snapper, Matt Overton, was placed on injured reserve.
"He's a great a long snapper," said Canaday, an All-America player at Portland State. "From what I heard, it came down to the wire between us. I'm not surprised that he has a job right now because he's a really good long snapper. He got drafted. Props to him for staying with it and getting a job."
It's something Canaday was forced to do after his release by Arizona last year before the start of the regular season.
The stats say Canaday (6-4, 245 pounds) was in on just one special teams tackle this season. But his value to Pittsburgh's special teams doesn't come from what he does covering punts.
The Steelers haven't had any kicks or punts go awry this season because of poor snaps. And Canaday has flown under the radar as a first-year player.
"I don't mind that at all," he told me. "I kind of like it like that. If my name stays out of the paper, I'm doing a good job."
Being part of a unit that helped the Steelers win four games on Chris Boswell field goals in the closing minute of a game has helped prepare him for what will be his first postseason appearance. Canaday is one of just nine players on Pittsburgh's roster who have not appeared in a playoff game.
"I'm just snapping as if it's any other game, any other environment. We're focused on always having good snaps and a good operation," he said. "I think my preparation starts in practice and the preseason. Whatever the situation, I'm just going to go out there and Bos and I are going to get it done."