Ken Amato life and biography

Ken Amato is a longsnapper and a linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. Amato's descent is from Puerto Rico.

PRO:
Since 2003, Ken Amato has served as a long snapper for both field goals and punts and contributed as a valued core member of special teams coverage units. His steady snaps helped Craig Hentrich ascend to the top of the team’s all-time leader board in career punting and have made an impact in Rob Bironas’ emergence as a Pro Bowl kicker. With Hentrich’s retirement in 2010, Amato is assigned with helping produce similar results from up-and-coming punter Brett Kern. Amato also has experience in extra-linebacker defensive packages.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
• In his first seven NFL seasons (2003-09), he played in 93 games and totaled 40 special teams tackles, including five stops on special teams in 2009. As a situational linebacker, he has seven career tackles.
• He has served as the long snapper for a 60-yard, game-winning field goal (12/4/06 vs. Indianapolis) and an NFL record eight field goals in a game (10/21/07 at Houston), both by Rob Bironas.

TITANS TIDBITS:
• Amato played in his first NFL game nearly five years after playing his final college game. After his college eligibility expired at the end of the 1998 season, he spent the next two years finishing his degree and assisting Montana State’s coaching staff with video work and a wide variety of other tasks. After graduation, with the exception of a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers in May 2002, he worked two years as a full-time juvenile service specialist in Miami until re-signing to attend his second camp with Carolina in February 2003.
• While Amato’s father, Paul, is Italian-Irish, his mother, Isora Gotay, is from Puerto Rico. As a result, he speaks fluent Spanish and still communicates with his mother’s side of the family in her native tongue.
• Amato learned to long snap in his last year playing Pop Warner football, but he did not do it again until college. During his time at Moorpark (Calif.) Junior College, he suffered an injury to his MCL and was unable to play linebacker for a short period. Because the team needed a long snapper, he volunteered for the duty because he wanted to stay involved while allowing his injury to heal.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS:
• The Miami, Fla., native was originally signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent on May 28, 2002 but was waived during his first training camp.
• Served a second stint with the Panthers from Feb. 11 to June 11, 2003.
• Signed by the Titans as a free agent on Aug. 12, 2003.

COLLEGE:
• Played in 22 games with nine starts in two seasons at Montana State.
• In addition to action at long snapper, collected 41 tackles, three sacks and one fumble recovery at linebacker as senior in 1998.
• Contributed 48 tackles and 2.5 sacks at defensive end and linebacker as a junior (1997).
• Prior to attending Montana State, spent two seasons at Moorpark (Calif.) Junior College, earning all-state and all-conference honors as sophomore.
• Earned degree in justice studies.

PERSONAL:
• Married to Sandi (July 2004), couple resides in Brentwood, Tenn., with daughter, Jazlyn (2).
• Named to Dade County All-Star team at Braddock High School in Miami, Fla., where he also played volleyball and participated in the high jump in track and field.
• Returned to Braddock HS in 2006 to speak at the school’s football banquet.
• Participated in youth football clinic in Puerto Rico in 2006.
• List of favorites: (movie) “The Matrix”; (TV show) “Two and a Half Men”; (actress) Reese Witherspoon; (music group) El Gran Combo; (food) Mexican; (school subject) history; and (sports hero) Dale Murphy.
• Born Kenneth Carlos Amato in Puerto Rico.

Read more