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GameDay Xtra: Behind the Scenes with Equipment Managers

by LSUsports.net (@LSUsports)
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GameDay Xtra: Behind the Scenes with Equipment Managers

By Alex Restrepo
LSU Sports Information

Jacob Hester bulldozed his way into the south end zone of Tiger Stadium to take the lead against defending national champion Florida. The record-setting 92,910 fans electrified Death Valley as their team had taken its first lead of the night. However, with his teammates on cloud nine, Hester remained lying in the end zone holding his helmet.

“He got his head bent back a little bit, didn’t he?” CBS analyst Gary Danielson told a national primetime audience of Hester’s heroic effort.

LSU equipment manager Greg Stringfellow took notice and quickly approached Hester when he reached the sideline to analyze his helmet. Hester thought his helmet was broken. However, Stringfellow said during Hester’s freight train like-touchdown run into LSU football lore, sand had clogged the buckle of the helmet’s chinstrap preventing Hester from fastening it.

A clogged helmet buckle is just one of the numerous tasks for Stringfellow and his staff.

Stringfellows’s crew includes three assistants, George Branigan, Garland “Chico” Rodriguez and Ferrell Shillings, plus 12 students.

Stringfellow views the football team as his “customers.” With a top-notch staff, a multi-million dollar Football Operation Center and more than $1 million in equipment on hand, the Tigers will always receive first-class service.

Game Week
On Monday morning, while the players are watching film and meeting with the coaches, Branigan coordinates the jerseys for the practice squad. The color of the practice squad jerseys is determined by LSU’s next opponent. The managers make sure the practice squad players receive the right numbers and are lined up against their correct counterpart.

Each week, regardless of whether the team is home or on the road, the managers must load all of their equipment on to LSU’s customized tractor-trailer since they work out of the Football Operations Center.

Stringfellow is responsible for preparing all of his department’s paperwork during the week. He communicates with the opponent’s equipment manger to go over each team’s needs, best routes and restaurants.

Stringfellow will also analyze any injuries from the previous game to see if there are any specific needs for those players.
 
LSU has developed a strong relationship with its sponsor Nike, so that if anything is not in LSU’s storage room; Nike is quick to fill LSU’s need.

“Nike sent some special shoes for Matt (Flynn) to wear when he was injured,” Stringfellow said. “The shoes made it much more comfortable during the injury process.”

Flynn coined the shoes the “Air-Flynns” and has since moved to a more normal shoe.

The most time-consuming task of game preparation, and the one that managers take the most pride in, is refurbishing helmets.

The helmet is completely stripped. The parts are checked for usability. The decals are removed with a product called De-Glue. The helmet is cleaned, buffed and polished before the decals and parts are replaced.

Depending on how scuffed it is, the refurbishing of a helmet can take up to an hour and a half. There are eight trainee managers that will come in to help with the task. Each student is responsible for seven to 10 helmets, depending on whether it’s a conference or non-conference game. There are two sets of helmets, which makes the process go much smoother. The team can practice with one set, so the managers can spread out their refurbishing duties throughout the week, as opposed to knocking it all out in an “all-nighter.” 

Most of the equipment is packed Wednesday night to be ready to put on the truck Thursday. Each head manager and student has a pack list to check off on Thursday.

Thursday afternoon Branigan is responsible for organizing each coach’s game day wear. Every part of the outfit has the coaches’ name on it for Branigan to sort.

Game Day
When the Tigers are on the road, the managers only have to worry about the team. When they lace up for Tiger Stadium, the managers are responsible for other groups.

“Home games are a little bit more difficult and more time consuming,” Stringfellow commented. “Not only are we responsible for getting the team ready, but also the facilities. We have to be ready for any recruits and make sure the visiting team is ready to go.”

At home games, Branigan’s crew is responsible for the goalpost pads, down makers and communication system. They must set up each sideline with any equipment they can hold on sight. The team’s benches are sectioned off by position.

The communication system that the coaches use is called CoachComm, which allows the coaching staff to comminute between the sideline and the press box.

Prior to each game, Branigan and a group of managers set up the system and thoroughly test each headset.

The coaches have four channels they can work off, two channels for each side of the ball. There is a primary and secondary channel for each side. Each coach has an A and B button for them to switch channels.

Branigan wears a headset during the game to make sure communication goes smoothly.

“If something goes wrong, I will know that there is a crisis as soon as it happens,” Branigan said. “If a coach’s headset goes down and they can’t hear the other coaches, then they are going to yell for a manager and I am already there to address and fix the problem.”

The locker room is also a major part of the game day setup. The managers pack a bag with all of the equipment for each player that dresses.

After distributing the bags, the managers organize each player’s locker so that it will be ready when the player arrives.

There are around 22 players (consisting of linemen and skill position players) who require their jerseys to be put on the shoulder pads with Velcro. The Velcro limits an opposing player’s ability to pull on the jersey.

After the equipment is distributed, the final things placed in the lockers are a game program and two sticks of gum.

During the game, Stringfellow is constantly on the look out for any problem that may occur. Whether it is sand in the helmet or something an official needs, he makes sure to handle it quickly.

“When a guy goes down, I want to be the first one there to see if it is something we can fix padding-wise,” Stringfellow commented. “We are constantly changing shoes throughout the game. If a guy slips, we can quickly change them out for him. Basically during the game I try to solve problems.”

The student managers follow their respective coaches for anything the coaches might need. Student manager Louis Bourgeois, a two-year veteran, keeps up with the footballs. Bourgeois makes sure all the footballs are in good condition prior to any practice or game and makes sure only the best are used on game day. For a practice, the team will have up to 76 footballs on hand. A game requires around 20 depending on the weather.

On the road, the equipment staff always cleans their locker room before leaving the stadium.

Student Help
The equipment staff has 12 student managers on a scholarship with eight trainees waiting in the wings hoping for a spot to open up.

There are three head student managers. Prior to the semester, the head student managers will get together and hold a “mock-draft” to pick the crew they want to lead when it is their turn to lock up the Football Operations Center.

The student managers spend as much, if not more, time at the Football Operations Center as the players. Most of their weekend is centered on working that week’s game. During their hectic work schedule, they must find time to keep up with their school work.

Branigan says every student who applies to be a manager knows the history and tradition of LSU football, but they get a wake up call when they first find out what the job entails.

“Everybody knows about LSU football, with its players and tradition,” Branigan commented. “As far understanding the equipment aspect, they are starting raw. It is like getting a kid in kindergarten and teaching him his ABCs. It is a different language for them and something they can only learn through experience.”

Student manager Jeff Grigus, an engineering sophomore, says the hardest part about his job is balancing school and work. The stress and pressure of work can be a lot for a student, while they take at least 12 hours of classes and must maintain a 2.5 grade point average.

Grigus’ job, at least during practice and games, has a little more pressure then the other student managers as he serves as head coach Les Miles‘ liaison.

Grigus is in charge of practice to make sure they follow the script as close as possible. He will stand by the head man during practices and games, holding either the practice script or the play cards. Grigus enjoys working for Coach Miles but says the hardest part about his job is time management. The practice script must coincide with the number of hours the Southeastern Conference allows teams to practice. 

“I am responsible for going to Coach Miles whenever the video guys or trainers need something from him,” Griqus said. “Except when there is an injury, that is when (head trainer) Jack (Marucci) will go talk to him personally.”

Winning Attitude
Both Grigus and Bourgeois agree that the best part about their job is being part of such a successful football program. The relationships they build, with not only their fellow managers but the coaches and players, makes the countless hours they spend at the Football Operations Center much more enjoyable.

Stringfellow, who has worked in the department since 1991, says the strong relationship between his staff and the team is built off the mutual respect for the work each side puts in. Even after players leave LSU, they still may swing by or call if they need help with something.

“Sometimes they will call with equipment needs because when they get to the NFL they feel they don’t get the level of service they got here because it is more of a business up there,” Stringfellow said.
 
Stringfellow says he talks to former Tiger and current Indianapolis Colt Anthony “Booger” McFarland at least once a week. Even guys like Kansas City wide receiver Eddie Kennison, who left LSU in 1996, still calls to check in.

Last summer, when Stringfellow had hip surgery, a number of former players stopped by his house to check on him.

The loyalty demonstrated by the team and managers is so strong because no matter how different their roles are, they share the same goal ? to win.

“We have our own little business that we run. The people outside of this office are our customers and we try to give them a great level of customer service,” he said. “Winning always helps you put things in perspective and makes it much more gratifying because you feel more successful about the work you do. We don’t want to be the reason we lose, if we ever do lose.”