Donning a uniform as an active athlete in any professional sport would obviously be difficult.

After much deliberation on the subject, I believe there are three pro sports jobs that might be considered relatively easy.

One need not be in peak physical condition to be a golfer or bowler. Long snappers, punters and pinch-hitters rarely play at all.

By the nature of the sport, though, golfers and bowlers are performing for their pay at all times. No long-term contracts here. Don’t play well, don’t get paid well.

Long snappers must be true to their craft with the game on the line at times. The same holds true for punters and pinch-hitters.

At crunch time, these folks must be at their best.

All of those jobs have pressure built in, which takes them out of the “easy” category.

A hockey goon is only on the roster to fight, but when you fight, you lose sometimes and that can be physically painful.

Here are three jobs in pro sports that require no pressure or pain at all.

No. 1 — Third-string quarterback in the NFL.

You are inactive pretty much every Sunday.

You are donning a baseball cap, carrying a clipboard, offering words of encouragement or advice during timeouts.

You are not going to play.

Ever.

Even if both quarterbacks succumb to an injury, there is still a good chance you are not going to play. Your team will scan the waiver wire and the unemployment list of long forgotten quarterbacks to place in front of you on the depth chart.

No. 2 — The 12th man on an NBA bench.

Yes, you are donning a uniform, but fans won’t see it because your sweats will never come off while you’re sitting at the end of the bench.

Few fans know your name. Still fewer know your number.

On the rare occasions you do enter a game, your team is either way ahead or way behind. The outcome is no longer in doubt and you are part of the proverbial “garbage” time.

Relax. Have fun. Pad your stats with a bucket or two.

Then it’s back to anonymity.

No. 3 — Long reliever in baseball.

You are not good enough to start. You are not good enough to man a setup role or close out of the bullpen.

You are there to eat up innings — even if opposing bats eat up you — when a game gets out of hand early.

With any luck, you will pitch meaningful innings in a 21-inning game at some point. But by the time you enter the game, most fans have gone home.

The ones who remain just want the game to be over.

No pressure. If you’re on the mound, your team has already failed.

One thing about all three of these jobs, though. You have to be a pretty darn good athlete to attain any of them.

Oh, well. Nothing’s ever easy.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.