MARS HILL - Though Mars Hill University's football coach Tim Clifton has been coaching for 29 years, he doesn't remember a more celebrated hometown player than tight end Ty Snelson.

Snelson, a 2018 Madison High graduate who was awarded first-team all-conference honorsin November, is a senior in the classroom and a junior on the football field.

The tight end led the Southern Atlantic Conference in touchdown receptions with nine and was ninth in the conference in yards per game with 49.5.

For all his success though, his coach said his character is just as special as what he does on the field.

"He is a great character kid," Clifton said. "Not only is he a good player, not only is he a good student, but he is a great character. That's the kind of guy you want to be successful."

At 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, Snelson is a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses, as his size and speed makes him extremely versatile. NFL teams are taking notice of his talents, too.

He was interviewed by NFL Draft Diamonds and said a number of pro teams have contacted him about potentially working out for them.

"When you start playing when you're 4 or 5 years old, I think (making the NFL is) everybody's goal," he said. "It's definitely something that anybody dreams of. I'm just trying to take it week by week and keep working, and we'll see what happens. It's definitely a surreal feeling. If I get an opportunity, I think that would be a great thing. But I'm also going through nursing school, and exploring opportunities that way too."

With one year of eligibility remaining, Snelson is focused on returning in 2022-23 after his team lost its last game Nov. 13 and was eliminated from playoff contention.

More: Mars Hill coach Tim Clifton reflects on team's 8-3 season: 'We had a really good year'

"We pretty much accomplished everything we wanted to, except for that last game," he said. "It was definitely a heartbreak. It really took a toll on everybody. Ithink everybody is taking it as a slap in the face. We do have a lot of people returning. (In the 2019-20 season) we had the mentality of we really loved being around each other and trusted each other, and that was a really big thing.

"The mentality going into next year is we just have to work harder than we did last year. We've got to get everybody going. We've got to get some young guys up and going. It's going to be a grind, but we're going to have to love it."

Snelson, a nursing major, said he stays busy working as a CNA at Elderberry Health Care, a transitional rehabilitation, skilled nursing and assisted living care facility in Marshall. As if that wasn't time-consuming enough, Snelson said he also operates a landscaping business.

"In the summer I normally get up around 6 (a.m.)," he said. "I would lift and condition for 2-2.5 hours, and work on some ball skills, just depending on what the day entailed. Then, I'd go to work around 9 a.m. and work till 4 p.m."

When he's not grinding in the weight room, at work or school or honing his craft as a pass catcher, Snelson said he likes spending time outdoors.

"With what little free time I get, I definitely like to go home and see my family," he said. "I'm an avid outdoorsman. I like to hunt. I like to fish. Anything outdoors I like to do - hike, go home and see my family, and get in the woods. That's what I love to do."

The SAC's 2021-22 leader in touchdown receptions said he's already established goals for next season, both for himself - on and off the field - and the team.

"I would say a goal would be to make all-conference," he said. "But the biggest goal, especially for me and probably for the team, is to win the conference. If it's possibleand I have a good year, I'd like to be an All-American. That's a very big goal. But shoot for the stars, and if you come up short, you're up there at least."

Snelson, whose fastest 40-yard-dash is 4.59 seconds, inherited his athletic genes from his parents - Lisa Gahagan, the school system's assistant superintendent, and Mark Snelson, the county commissioners' board chair.

Snelson said Gahagan and his aunt, Gahagan's sister, played basketball together at MHU, while Mark Snelson was a standout baseball player.

Snelson said like his mother, his first love was basketball, too.

"I think when I was maybe 3, or whenever I started walking, I started dribbling a basketball," he said. "That was my first true love. And then I started playing football when I was 5 or 6. That's kind of when it all shifted."

The 2018 Madison High grad played football, basketball, track and field and one year of baseball while in high school. He credited his parents and his grandparents for their near-perfect attendance records at his countless sporting events, dating to his childhood.

"My mom and dad have always been super supportive of me in my career," he said. "My grandparents - they haven't missed a game. Ever. Football, basketball or baseball. Neither have my parents. They never missed a meet or a game, anything."

Snelson said he wished to recognize his community for their never-ending love, too.

"They've supported me all the way up from youth league up until now. So, I want to thank them for the support, and thank my family for the support, for sure. Lastly, I want to thank all my coaches and my teachers growing up. I owe them a big, big 'thank you' for their support."

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2018 Madison High graduate Ty Snelson focused on here and now amid potential NFL buzz - Asheville Citizen-Times