49ers to work out Nate Boyer, 34-year old long snapper draft prospect

Fooch's update: It appears he will be at the 49ers local Pro Day, and this will not count as one of the 30 official pre-draft visits.

The San Francisco 49ers have 30 pre-draft visits, and they are getting creative with them. The team is set to put long snapper Nate Boyer through a workout. Boyer confirmed that news during a Tuesday interview on SiriusXM NFL radio.

The 49ers have a long snapper in the form of Kyle Nelson. He replaced Kevin McDermott who had previously unseated long-time long snapper Brian Jennings. Nelson put together a solid enough season in 2014, but the team frequently brings in competition for the long snapper role.

While it is not surprising the 49ers would consider adding another long snapper, the story of Nate Boyer makes this fairly unique. After September 11, 2001, Boyer spent six weeks in the Sudan doing relief work at a refugee camp. Upon his return to the United States, he joined the Army and became a member of the Rangers, with whom he earned a bronze star.

Boyer subsequently used his GI Bill to go to Texas, where he was initially a walk-on. He was in the National Guard and ended up back in Afghanistan during his sophomore year at Texas, and then returned to become the Longhorns' long snapper. You can read more about his story at the MMQB.

College long snappers face a tough climb to getting a job. The 49ers have turned over the position each of the last two years, so it is certainly not out of the realm of the possible. Nelson was solid, but a little competition never hurt anybody.