A Cleveland-area native and former walk-on long snapper who found a steady NFL home with his hometown Browns after bouncing across three franchises.
Rex Sunahara grew up in Bay Village, Ohio, just outside Cleveland, and took a winding road to the NFL after going undrafted out of West Virginia. He cycled through practice squads with the Dolphins and Steelers before landing with the Browns in 2024, where he has settled in as the team's steady long snapper.
Path to the league
Sunahara began his college career as a walk-on long snapper at Rhode Island before transferring to West Virginia, where he became the Mountaineers' starting long snapper in 2018 and started 24 games over two seasons. He signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and spent time on practice squads in Miami and Pittsburgh, plus a stint with the XFL's San Antonio Brahmas, before joining the Browns in 2024.
Career highlights
At West Virginia, Sunahara earned recognition as a Patrick Mannelly Award semifinalist and played in all-star showcases including the Hula Bowl. He finally reached the NFL active roster with the Browns in October 2024, making his debut in his hometown market against the Philadelphia Eagles.
2025 season recap
Sunahara returned as Cleveland's primary long snapper for 2025 after a clean 2024 season with zero botched snaps and two special-teams tackles across 12 games. He has continued in that specialist role for the Browns, giving the team consistency at a position that rarely draws attention when done well.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Rex Sunahara
- ESPN: Rex Sunahara
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Long Snapper
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- West Virginia
- Hometown
- Bay Village, OH, USA
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
