Truck is Headed for Toledo!!!!!

Well, we started work at 6am today so Bob Keith and Bob Caprari could drive our truck to Toledo Ohio this morning. They left McKale this morning around 7am so they could have everything in Toledo when we arrive there this Thursday afternoon.

We got many nice comments from people who saw the truck for the first time. Our linebackers were walking to the football offices EARLY this morning to watch some video of Toledo and they raved about how much they like the look of the truck. I was more excited about them going to watch video on their own before class!

Once again, our mostly veteran staff of student managers provided the knowledge and know how to make this mornings exercise a very smooth operation! We had the truck loaded in less than an hour. I feel like we have the best equipment staff in the world. They are AWESOME!

The trainers showed up early too to get their gear on the truck, and the cheerleaders also showed up with their stuff too. Brian Jefferies, the voice of the Wildcats, always brings his radio equipment to us in the equipment room the day before we load, so all of our fans will be able to hear his broadcast.

A long trip like this is always a little more challenging because the truck has to leave so early. We will have to put a few things in the belly of the plane this Thursday, such as player bags and clean laundry. Also, things like Brian Jeffries radio equipment. He can only send some of the stuff early because he has coaches radio show responsibilities too between now and when we leave. We will have another truck pick us up in Toledo when we arrive to carry our player bags to the stadium.

It seems like football season is officially here now! We are so excited in the equipment room!!!!




Managers started pushing trunks at 6am this morning:

Mike Harlow and Michael Barnett get a little help from Rick Shelley, General Manager for Horizon Moving Systems in Tucson:

Mike Baranowski taking trunks to the truck this morning:


David Bodzin got a taste of loading the truck for a road trip for the first time:

John Landweher pushes a Coach Comm trunk to the truck this morning:


John Landwehr pushes one of Coach Comm trunks on to the truck:

Tim Pfennig carefully checks of each and every trunk and other items in our notebook:

Robert Lloyd and Jordan Bates push trunks early this morning:

Managers pushed all of our trunks to the truck early this morning:

Robert Lloyd pushes a Coach Comm trunk on to the trailer:

Ryan Ewalt pushes a trunk this morning:

Billy Worthington and Ryan Ewalt put one of the many trunks on to the trailer:

Jack Banker pushes a trunk towards the truck this morning:

Nice shot of how nice the truck looks. Horizon Moving Systems did an OUTSTANDING job with the new look of the truck:

Ben Hulka brings a hamper to the truck:

Bob and Bob strap down some trunks after they are on the trailer:

Michael Barnett pushes one of trunks towards the truck this morning:

The Arizona Daily Star sent a photographer early this morning to take pictures. They may put a story or pictures in the morning paper?

Jordan Bates puts some our Coach Comm equipment on to the truck:

Mike Baranowski pushes the kicking net on top of a trunk towards the truck early this morning:

We even take cheerleaders gear on the truck. They will pick up their items from us at the locker room on Friday when they arrive for the game:

David Bodzin pushes empty hamper towards the truck early this morning:

Even though we will take our player bags on the charter plane with us Thursday, we take the big blue hampers for travel bags with us for post game:

Trainers even take sideline fans on the truck:

Jack Banker pushes trunk from McKale towards truck early this morning:

Jack Banker pushes trunk up the ramp and onto the truck:

Mike Reed and Jordan Bates put a larger hamper on the trailer:

Michael Barnett pushes trunk up the ramp and onto the trailer:

Managers getting our coolers on the truck:

Ryan Ewalt with a cooler for the coaches and staff for once we get there in the locker room:

A nice shot of the new looking truck:

Finishing up before they put the locks on all the doors:

Tim and Benny going over last minute stuff and DOUBLE CHECKING before they sign off for Bob and Bob to leave for Toledo:

Bob Keith locking the last lock on the truck before they take off:

Everyone is Working Hard

We had a GREAT practice yesterday afternoon in preparation for our first game of the season against the Toledo Rockets of the Mid American Conference. The managers are working very hard, just like the players and coaches.

We had a little bit of last minute trunk packing after practice because our equipment truck was leaving first thing this morning.

We are all getting very excited about our trip to Toledo Ohio. We have heard from many other equipment managers that have visited the Glass Bowl (Toledo's home stadium) in the past, and it appears that we have many challenges ahead of us. The locker room there is incredibly small and will very uncomfortable for everyone. We look forward to the opportunity of making it a smooth visit for our players and coaches!

Mike Reed snapping ball to Nick Foles during passing drills in yesterday's practice:


Billy Worthington, Michael Barnett and Jordan Bates move two heavy pop up dummies after routes on air drill early in practice:

Managers move all the pop up dummies to other field so they are ready for post practice drills for QB's and WR's after practice:

Mike Harlow hustling with Ben Hulka to run middle drill during yesterday's practice at Jiminez Practice Facility:


Ben Hulka hustling during middle drill:

Mike Harlow hustling while running balls during middle drill:

Ben Hulka spotting ball during middle period:

Jordan Gobel and other managers lay out everything during middle and 7 on 7 for special teams period so it is ready to go for Coach Hammerschmidt:

Everything is laid out and ready for scout team members for special teams period:

Jordan and other managers have everything ready for special teams period:

Jordan Gobel hustling as always. She does an OUTSTANDING job with coordinating special teams for practice!

Toledo Practice Number 1

There is much excitement around McKale right now as all of us prepare for the opening game of the 2010 Football season. Of course, we are very busy getting ready too.

We will load the truck first thing in the morning as the truck will head for Toledo tomorrow. We have some last minute packing of trunks tonight after practice, but for the most part, we are ready to roll.

I want to take this time to thank all the people who email me that follow this blog! I enjoy hearing from all of you! I especially enjoy hearing from people who have suggestions for blogs. I do not get many suggestions, but when I do, I always try to oblige.

I am always careful to only blog about things that pertain to the equipment side of things and other somewhat interesting things about the team. I try not to report on specifics of practice as in what we are doing to prepare for an opponent and things like that.

The point of this blog is to give people a behind the scenes look at what we do as an equipment staff. It is also nice to be able to point out all the important and hard working people within our equipment staff.

This weekend though, I did get a request from someone who follows the blog and is also a big fan of David Douglas, so I tried to get a couple of pictures of David in today's blog. I know it wasn't much, but going forward I will try to add things like that.

We are headed out for stretch right now, so I need to get out to practice. Thanks again for all the emails of support!


David Douglas awaits a punt during special teams last night:

Ryan Ewalt snaps to QB's during special team period, as Jack Banker shags the balls from receivers:

Michael Barnett hustling as usual last night during practice:

Offense goes against scout team D last night at Jiminez:

Horizon Moving Always Hits Home Runs

I am not an expert on the computer, so I do not really know how to make these pictures any bigger, but I just got these pictures from Bruce Dusenberry, owner of Horizon Moving, and I wanted to share with everyone what our equipment truck will look like this year.

Benny and I just got back to the equipment room after a lunch meeting at our favorite restaurant, Guillermo's in South Tucson with Rick Shelly, general manager of Horizon and the two truck drivers, Bob Keith and Bob Caprari. We went over all the logistics for this upcoming season.

While we were having our meeting, Bruce sent these two pictures to me via email. The trailer just got the new wrap put on it and Bruce took some pictures of it before taking it back to the yard.

We will be loading the truck up first thing Tuesday morning so Bob and Bob can get it to the stadium by Thursday afternoon when we arrive in Toledo.

Obviously, we are very excited about another season with Horizon Moving. They have been moving our gear now for 10 years all around the country and they are the BEST in the business! Bob and Bob are the best drivers and movers that any equipment manager would want on their team. Even they know the routine after all these years, they still want to go over everything so they can make sure they do things right and help the Wildcats all they can.

A special thanks goes out to Leah Kuan of IMG for helping us out with Horizon Moving.