David Binn
He mastered the invisible art of long snapping for 18 NFL seasons, a Chargers institution whose consistency was a form of genius.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American football player·Birthday: February 6·Generation X
Biography
In the brutal, highlight-reel world of the NFL, David Binn crafted a masterpiece of anonymity. As a long snapper, his job was to fire the football between his legs with perfect spiral and timing on punts and field goals—a task noticed only when it goes wrong. For the San Diego Chargers, it almost never did. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of California in 1994, Binn became the bedrock of special teams, playing in 256 consecutive games. His tenure spanned eras: he was the last active player from the Chargers' 1994 Super Bowl team and endured the dismal 1-15 season in 2000. His precision was a quiet constant, earning him a Pro Bowl nod in his 17th season, a rarity for his position. When he retired after the 2011 season, he held the franchise record for games played. Binn's career is a testament to the specialized craftsmen of football, proving that sustained excellence in a single, subtle skill can forge an 18-year legacy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 18 seasons as a long snapper for the San Diego Chargers, appearing in a franchise-record 256 games.
- Selected to the Pro Bowl in 2010, an extraordinary honor for a specialist in his 17th professional season.
- Was the last remaining active NFL player from the San Diego Chargers' Super Bowl XXIX team roster.
Did You Know?
He was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 2010, the peak recognition for a long snapper.
He majored in political science at the University of California, Berkeley.
His streak of 256 consecutive games played is one of the longest in NFL history for any player.
“My job is to be invisible for sixty plays and perfect for the sixty-first.”
