For Yount, taking care of the task is a snap

UCLA’s Christian Yount can be seen as a visionary, though most of his daily work shift is spent looking backward.

He fills the vital role of long snapper, a duty that was often filled by a walk-on player or the team’s regular center. But Yount, a freshman, has benefited from the trend toward signing quality snappers. He agreed to attend UCLA after graduating from Mission Viejo Tesoro High with the promise that he would receive a scholarship after the Bruins’ 2006 season.

“I was really surprised to know that a long snapper could even get a scholarship,” Yount said. “To think that I could actually play in college and get my school paid for, even possibly go to the NFL and have a long career, was kind of mind blowing.”

Yount has achieved much of that already. He handles the snaps on punts, field goals and extra points. He hardly looks imposing at his height (6 feet 1) and weight (233 pounds), but bulk doesn’t matter.

“I think a good long snapper is the guy who can be both accurate and quick with the snap, but at the same time get down field and cover,” said UCLA punter Aaron Perez, who is also the holder for place kicks. “A guy can snap the heck out of the ball, but if he’s a big fat guy who can’t get down the field, then what help is he? . . . It is becoming more and more known, especially since I’ve been in college, how important these specialists are and Christian is amazing at it.”

Yount wasn’t planning on the college perks when he entered Tesoro.

“One of my dad’s friends used to be a long snapper in high school and college and he said I should try it as a way to get a seat on the team bus,” Yount said.

Until then, Yount’s only football experience was the flag variety. But he and his father found a long-snapper instructional video online and began practicing. He made the Tesoro junior varsity as a freshman and had a seat on the varsity bus the following season.

UCLA coaches became interested after Yount attended a camp in Las Vegas his junior year. They offered him a scholarship deal that summer.

“No one knows who we are, it’s just one of those things where a team has to have a good one,” Yount said. “When you have a bad one, that’s when you get noticed. Kickers can’t kick without us.”

Said Perez: “Yeah, we hear that from him all the time. But he’s right.”

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Meanwhile, once the ball is snapped . . .

Kicker Kai Forbath lacks only one thing on his resume this season -- a game-winning kick.

“Before every game, I think about that and hope that might happen in this game,” Forbath said. “It’s a chance to show everyone I can perform under pressure. It’s a great way to prove to people you’re good, I guess.”

Forbath has left little doubt of that in every other way. He has made 22 of 26 field-goal tries and leads the Bruins with 95 points. He is three for three from 50 yards and beyond with a long of 54 yards.

Still, that game winner is alluring.

“A bunch of guys can make kicks, but the kicks that really matter are the ones you’re remembered for,” Forbath said.

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The Bruins held their last practice at UCLA on Monday and will head to Las Vegas after a walk-through today. The preparations to play Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday were a little sluggish at first, at least on the defensive side.

“I know we were in full pads yesterday and they’re a little tired,” said DeWayne Walker, interim head coach. “But that’s what we’ve talked about the last couple days, mental toughness as a team. We’re not worried about it. We know what these guys can do. They just needed a nice kick today, so we gave it to them.”

Practice got less sluggish.

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chris.foster@latimes.com