Tyler Huntley has quietly emerged as one of the NFL's most vaunted backups.
The Dolphins hurler is entering his fifth year in the league after going undrafted out of Utah in 2020. He's started games for one franchise during that spell and very well could get a second bite at the apple with Miami after injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson.
Huntley's five-year odyssey hasn't just been accompanied by strong play and an effervescent smile, however. It's also featured an eye-catching sobriquet: "Snoop."
Yes, Snoop. Like Snoop Dogg? You might be familiar with some of his work.
Huntley has long embraced the alias, which dates back to his youth. Even Huntley's teammates get in on the action. "Snoop's a baller," Ravens offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum said of Huntley in 2022.
With that, here's what you need to know about Huntley's famous epithet.
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Why is Tyler Huntley called 'Snoop'?
Huntley's moniker has less to do with his habits and more to do with his resemblance to a certain Long Beach-based rapper.
According to a 2017 report from The Salt Lake Tribune, Huntley's nickname originates from a former coach at Hallandale High School in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
Per the Tribune:
A skinny kid with long hair before his freshman year at Hallandale, a former coach nicknamed Huntley 'Snoop' because of his resemblance to rapper Snoop Dogg. Even now, when Utes teammates walked off the practice field as Huntley began media availability this week, chants of 'Snoop' rang through the air.
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Huntley's explanation of the nickname offered similar sentiments.
"Snoop" explained its origins back in 2022 via Instagram Live with cornerback Marlon Humphrey: "Long story short," Huntley said, "I was skinny with long hair. Got the name 'Snoop.'"
Huntley's 247Sports bio lists him at 6-1, 190 pounds coming out of high school, the same height and weight the Utes listed him as during his freshman season.
His hair — a contributing factor to his pseudonym — has changed markedly in the years since he first was christened with "Snoop." So too has his frame — Huntley has added 15 pounds over the course of his professional career.
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Regardless, the name has stuck.
From Baltimore to Cleveland and now Miami, Huntley's presence has left a great many wondering what "Snoop" will do next. The Fins will be hoping
