Chris Stoll Bio
Christopher Michael Stoll, known professionally as Chris Stoll, is an American professional football long snapper for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 255 pounds, Stoll plays one of the most specialized roles on a football team, handling snapping duties for punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. He first joined the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL draft and has remained with the franchise since. In 2023, he was recognized nationally as the top long snapper in college football.
Born and raised in Ohio, Stoll developed his snapping skills at a young age and turned that specialty into a scholarship opportunity at Penn State. After six seasons with the Penn State Nittany Lions, where he grew from a preferred walk-on into an award-winning team captain, he made the jump to the professional ranks. His path from overlooked high school recruit to established NFL long snapper reflects the kind of steady, specialized development that defines long snapping careers at the highest level.
Early Life and Background
Christopher Michael Stoll was born on August 3, 1998, in Westerville, Ohio. He grew up in the Columbus metropolitan area and attended St. Francis DeSales High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete. In addition to playing football, Stoll also competed in lacrosse, hockey, and basketball, building the overall athletic foundation that would later support his specialized work as a long snapper.
During his high school years, Stoll focused on long snapping and was recognized as a two-time Prokicker.com All-American long snapper selection in his junior and senior seasons. Those honors helped put him on the radar of college programs looking for specialists, even though he was not considered a high-profile national recruit. Coming out of DeSales, he chose to join the Penn State Nittany Lions as a preferred walk-on, a path that required him to earn his opportunity rather than arrive on scholarship.
Path to American Football
Stoll’s route to college football began with his decision to bet on himself as a preferred walk-on at Penn State, one of the most tradition-rich programs in the Big Ten Conference. Walking on meant he had to prove his value in practice every day, and his early years with the Nittany Lions were defined more by patience than by playing time. The program gave him time to develop his body, refine his snapping mechanics, and learn the tempo of major college football.
His development paid off during his upper-class years, when he earned a scholarship and eventually became a team leader. That trajectory, from walk-on to scholarship player to captain and award winner, mirrors the development path that many successful long snappers follow. Stoll’s specialty work, combined with his football IQ and consistency, eventually positioned him for a professional opportunity once his college eligibility was exhausted.
Chris Stoll Career
Early Career at Penn State (2017–2022)
Stoll played at Penn State for six seasons, beginning in 2017 and continuing through the 2022 campaign. In his first two years with the program, he did not see game action, as he was redshirted in 2017 and spent time as a backup while learning the long snapping role. Those seasons were used to add strength and master the precision snapping technique that the position demands at the college level.
Beginning in 2019, Stoll began to take on a regular role with the Nittany Lions. He played in 13 games that season and recorded three tackles, a small but telling number for a long snapper, reflecting his willingness to contribute on coverage units. Before the 2020 season, he was awarded a scholarship by the program, a significant milestone for a player who had entered as a walk-on. He continued to handle snapping duties for the Nittany Lions over the following seasons, building a reputation for consistency and reliability.
Penn State Breakthrough and Senior Recognition (2021–2022)
During the 2021 season, Stoll appeared in 13 games and earned a nomination for the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given to the top college football player who began his career as a walk-on. That recognition reinforced his standing as one of the most productive walk-on specialists in the country. Heading into his final year of eligibility, he was also named a team captain, underscoring the respect he had earned from coaches and teammates.
At the start of the 2022 season, Stoll was named to the Patrick Mannelly Award watchlist, which honors the best long snapper in college football. He appeared in all 13 games of his senior year and was ultimately presented with the Patrick Mannelly Award for the 2023 cycle. Following the conclusion of his college career, he accepted an invitation to play in the Hula Bowl, an all-star showcase for top draft-eligible players.
Seattle Seahawks Era (2023–Present)
Stoll entered the 2023 NFL draft but was not selected, allowing him to sign with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. On August 29, 2023, the Seahawks announced that he had made the initial 53-man roster, an impressive accomplishment for a specialist with no draft status. He has since remained a steady presence in the team’s snapping game, contributing on punts, field goals, and extra point attempts.
On March 23, 2026, Stoll re-signed with the Seattle Seahawks on a two-year contract worth $2.91 million, further cementing his role with the organization. Through the 2025 season, he had appeared in 51 NFL games, a workload that reflects his durability and the trust placed in him by Seattle’s coaching staff. His contributions have helped anchor one of the more specialized units on the Seahawks roster.
Driving Style and Strengths
While the term driving style is more common in motorsports, Stoll’s equivalent on the football field is his approach to long snapping, defined by consistency, accuracy, and repeatable mechanics. He has built his career on the ability to deliver clean, on-target snaps in high-pressure situations, from extra points in front of a packed stadium to pooch punts in tight field position games. Coaches value his poise and his readiness to perform in a role that rarely makes headlines but can decide games.
Notable Events and Milestones
Stoll’s most notable individual milestone came in 2023 when he won the Patrick Mannelly Award, recognizing him as the best long snapper in college football. He has also earned recognition as a Super Bowl champion as part of the Seattle Seahawks’ championship run, and his multi-year contract extension in 2026 reflects the franchise’s long-term commitment to him.
Chris Stoll Career Wins
Because long snapping is a specialty position, traditional win-loss statistics are not the primary measure of a snapper’s value. Instead, Stoll’s résumé is defined by accuracy, consistency, and the number of games he has handled snapping duties without incident. Across both his college and professional careers, he has built a record of reliable special teams play that has earned him a long-term contract in the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks Highlights
Since joining the Seattle Seahawks, Stoll has appeared in 51 games through the 2025 season, contributing two total tackles when coverage opportunities have presented themselves. His steady presence has helped the Seahawks maintain continuity in their special teams units, including during their Super Bowl championship run. In March 2026, he secured his future with the franchise by signing a two-year, $2.91 million contract extension.
Other Performances
At the college level, Stoll’s top individual performance came in 2022, when he played in all 13 games for Penn State, was named a team captain, and was awarded the Patrick Mannelly Award. He also appeared in the Hula Bowl, one of the premier college all-star games. Those accomplishments helped him transition smoothly into the NFL despite going undrafted.
Chris Stoll Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Publicly available information about Chris Stoll’s immediate family is limited, as he tends to keep his personal and family life private. He grew up in Westerville, Ohio, and attended St. Francis DeSales High School, the same school from which he launched his football career. His rise from walk-on to award-winning specialist reflects a strong personal support system that helped him navigate a non-traditional path to the NFL.
Personal Life
Chris Stoll is known to keep his personal life largely out of the public eye, and there is no widely confirmed public information about a spouse or children. His social media presence reflects his focus on football and his role with the Seattle Seahawks. As a young professional athlete still in the early stages of his NFL career, he appears focused on his craft and his continued development as a long snapper.
2025 Season Performance
During the 2025 season, Chris Stoll continued to serve as the primary long snapper for the Seattle Seahawks, building on the consistency he established during his first two NFL seasons. He was a regular presence on special teams, contributing to both the punting and kicking game units. His reliability in the role allowed the Seahawks to maintain stability at a position that often goes unnoticed until something goes wrong.
His continued presence on the 53-man roster is itself a marker of his performance, since long snappers face constant competition for their jobs. By the end of the 2025 season, Stoll had appeared in 51 career games, a workload that places him among the more experienced snappers in the league for his age group. The Seahawks’ decision to extend him in March 2026 suggested the organization viewed his 2025 work as confirmation of his long-term value.
Looking ahead, Stoll’s 2025 season also laid the foundation for his next contract chapter, since his two-year extension will keep him in Seattle through the 2027 campaign. His trajectory, from preferred walk-on at Penn State to Super Bowl champion and multi-year contract holder, marks him as one of the more compelling long snapping stories of his draft class. The outlook for the coming seasons points to continued opportunity, provided he maintains the accuracy and consistency that have defined his career.
