No. 14: Snider's fleet feet make him a devastating weapon for De Smet

There are days Robert Steeples wishes he had a camera at practice.

Preferably one that records in slow motion.

moves are worth a second, third or even a fourth look.

“Some of the stuff he does at practice is ridiculous. He’s lightning in a bottle,” said Steeples, De Smet’s football coach. “He’s a human highlight reel.”

A senior running back for , Snider is a threat to break off a big-time play any time he touches the ball.

There is just one fly in the ointment.

Touches are hard to come by in the De Smet backfield. Snider is one of three NCAA Division I running backs on the roster as he split carries last season with fellow seniors Rico Barfield (Ball State) and Taj Butts (Missouri).

Snider finished his junior season with 100 rushes for 970 yards and 13 touchdowns, the fewest of the talented trio.

However, his speed and strength make him an ideal kick returner. De Smet’s opponents have to think twice about sending the ball his way.

“The best part of a third down stop is the other team has to punt to Darez,” Steeples said. “There’s always the opportunity for a momentum shift on a kick return.”

Snider, 17, might not have led the team in carries or rushing yards, but he was its leader in all-purpose yards. The 5-foot-8 and 175-pound speedster caught eight passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. He returned eight kickoffs for 315 yards and 12 punts for 234 yards. Add it all up and Snider accounted for 1,622 yards and 16 total touchdowns.

“We get him the ball anyway possible,” Steeples said.

Snider is No. 14 on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown of the area’s top senior prospects.

There’s a lot of pressure that goes into returning kicks and especially punts. It gets taken for granted how tough it can be to corral the football as it comes hurtling from the sky. Never mind the guys with a full head of steam zeroing in to stop the returner cold.

“There’s so much going through my mind when the ball is in the air,” Snider said.

Step one is secure the football.

Step two is show them why they should have kicked it out of bounds.

“I get the ball and do what I do best,” Snider said.

His abilities as a kick and punt returner aided his college recruiting. Snider received offers from Arkansas State, Eastern Illinois, Toledo and William & Mary. He could have padded that portfolio but in March he verbally committed to Miami University in Ohio. Snider said he felt he found the right fit.

“The pandemic made things harder,” he said. “I definitely found a home in Miami. I see myself doing big things there.”

The RedHawks have an elite talent coming but there are more layers to that talent to be uncovered. One of the hard parts of playing with two other standouts at your position is the reps are split. One of the best parts of playing with two other standouts at your position? The reps are split.

By sharing the load, Snider, Barfield and Butts keep the wear and tear of the game at a minimum. When they arrive at college they’ll be fresher.

“Splitting the ball keeps them healthy,” Steeples said. “Their best football is in front of them.”

Snider is hoping that he’ll get to play again before heading off to Oxford, Ohio. Members of the Metro Catholic Conference are not holding preseason practices and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health has recommended all schools in its jurisdiction begin the school year with distance learning. Whether the Spartans get the chance to defend their Class 6 state championship is very much up in the air.

As it is, Snider is looking forward to being back at practice and antagonizing his teammates on the defense. Last season De Smet’s average margin of victory was 44-9. A lot of weeks the Spartans' toughest test came when they scrimmaged themselves. Snider said the competitive juices flowed freely.

“You should practice how you play. We’d go at it at practice,” Snider said. “All the dogs would come out. That was our best competition.”