With Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve due to his fourth concussion in five years, Skylar Thompson suffering a rib injury, and Tim Boyle struggling in his limited action, the Miami Dolphins have a new starting quarterback: Tyler “Snoop” Huntley.
The Dolphins signed Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad on Sept. 16, 2024, and now he’ll get an opportunity to lead the offense after learning the playbook and getting acclimated. Let’s revisit Huntley’s career and where he got his famous nickname.
Who Is Tyler “Snoop” Huntley?
Huntley emerged as a star quarterback at Hallandale High School in Florida, which is where his nickname originated. Huntley dominated on the gridiron, throwing for 9,053 yards and 106 touchdowns and earning Florida Gatorade Football Player of the Year honors.
The three-star recruit flew under the radar due to his 5’10” height. He initially committed to Florida Atlantic in March 2015, but after Utah assistant coach Dennis Erickson started recruiting him, Huntley decided that Utah was the place for him in August 2015.
While with the Utes, Huntley threw for 7,351 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions while adding 1,146 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
As a senior, he threw for 3,092 yards, 19 touchdowns, and four interceptions while rushing for 290 yards and five touchdowns. That season, he was named First-Team All-Pac-12 and led the Utes to the Pac-12 Conference Final.
After going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, Huntley signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in April 2020. As a fellow dual-threat quarterback, he was a solid backup behind Lamar Jackson.
Throughout his four-year stint with the Ravens, Huntley primarily went by “Snoop” while totaling 1,957 passing yards, 509 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Where did that nickname come from?
How Did Huntley Earn the “Snoop” Nickname?
Christopher Kamrani of The Salt Lake Tribune wrote a feature on Huntley back in 2017 when the quarterback was thriving with the Utah Utes, which explains where the nickname originated.
“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,” Kamrani wrote. “Even now, when Utes teammates walked off the practice field as Huntley began media availability this week, chants of ‘Snoop’ rang through the air.”
MORE: Ranking the Best Nicknames in NFL History
This lines up with what Huntley said during an Instagram Live with former Ravens teammate Marlon Humphrey two years ago.
“Long story short, I was skinny with long hair,” Huntley said. “Got the name ‘Snoop.'”
While it’s tough to see the resemblance now since he has bulked up and cut his hair, the nickname stuck.
In 2022, he was named to the Pro Bowl, where he actually got a chance to meet Snoop Dogg and take a photo with the legendary rapper.
Snoop Dogg & Snoop Huntley 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fTyF2bACYR
— JM Football (@JomboyMediaFB)
Now, Snoop Huntley will have a chance to continue to make a name for himself and show what he can do under center for the Dolphins.
Miami will face off against the Tennessee Titans on “Monday Night Football” tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.