Corn snake that hasnt been handled in awhile

Question
I have a corn snake that is between 12 and 15 inches approximately and at his widest point i would guess a little larger than a nickel in diameter. I have only had him for the last few months because my friend moved from her apartment to her parents house and was living in a cold basement so i took him in. When she first moved him to her parents house she didn't hold him for about a month. i waited a week or two after moving him here before i tried to hold him and he really seems to want nothing to do with it, even though you could reach in at any time before and pick him up without a problem and hold him and he enjoyed it. Also, before she moved to her parents house she was living with a room mate and actually had 2 corn snakes and one day she went home and one was missing, so who knows what the two of them went through when that happened because neither had managed to escape before (the lid is very secure). He has now been here for about 2-3 months so that is a total of 3-4 months without him being handled except for feeding and cleaning at which point i wear gloves. I am not worried about him striking me as i know it wouldn't hurt, i am more worried of my reaction which would be to drop him. How would you suggest i go about re-introducing him to being held?

Answer
Hi Katelyn,
  Good question and thanks for the background info, it always helps. Start out by having no fear, reaching in and grabbing him slowly and deliberately, and hold him for 5 to 10 min 2 or 3 times per day. He will get used to it and know that you are not a threat. If he does bite you, it will hurt a little and you might bleed (I was bitten just this week by a Kingsnake and bled like a stuck hog). The key is not to react. If you do drop him, it is no big deal. I have had a snake bolt out of a 6' high enclose , hit a hard floor, and be none the worse for wear. Just keep trying and he will come around!