The specialists on any football team are often a tight-knit trio. Success for them often hinges on a unique connection -- one where timing, rhythm and each other's habits become a shared language.
Washington Commanders' kicker Matt Gay, long snapper Tyler Ott and punter Tress Way possess the kinship of many other specialist groups. However, there's an element to their bond to which no other men in their positions have ever had. As confirmed by Elias Sports, the Commanders are the first NFL team to have three specialists who all have three letter last names.
Shortly after Gay was signed by the Commanders in free agency, the specialists had a sense that a never-before-seen phenomenon was afoot.
"We've been saying it since the spring," Way said.
The inkling about their surnames' significance had already become unifying force for the trio. Ahead of the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, for example, Ott posted an arrival photo of the specialists at Northwest Stadium with the caption, "three letters only."
Then, confirmation – finally. The announcement of the news began: "Congratulations. You've made history…" and at that point, the excitement swelled. The joyful chirps back and forth began. The sentence didn't even need to be finished. "We knew it! We knew it!" they said.
"Any time you can be a part of history and share it with great men like this, just honored," Gay said following word of their milestone.
The records show that the only team that has come close to touching the greatness of three specialists with only three-letter last names was the Minnesota Vikings. In 1969 and 1971, the Vikings' punter was Bob Lee and their kicker was Fred Cox. As for the long snapper back then, the specialized position actually didn't exist yet. At this point, teams would use someone who primarily played a different position for the role (though, for what it's worth, no one else on the Vikings roster in '69 and '71 had a three-letter last name).
In what perhaps can be considered a full-circle moment, the history made in Washington this season can be traced back to history made in Washington decades ago. Head coach and general manager George Allen can be credited with the now ubiquitous, specialized long snapper trend. In 1971, Allen, in his first season with Washington, made George Burman the first modern long snapper -- a player whose roster spot was based on the long snap, and no other position.
It's hard to imagine the Ott-Way-Gay scenario featuring in Allen's wildest imagination. Perhaps this onomastic occurrence is a bit of trivia you pull out at a dinner party. Maybe it serves as proof to the random good luck hard work can produce.
"In the game of football, there's a lot of things out of your control but there are certain things in your control," Way said. "We're just very thankful that we have the opportunity with things that are in our control for us to do our part and be a part of history."
"I like that," Ott said of Way's response. "Short, sweet and concise. Just like our names."
