Moving Into the Alamodome

Yesterday was a busy day for us, as we moved the truck from UIW over to the Alamodome early in the morning and set up over at the stadium.

Then, we went to the Kick Off Luncheon at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel. After the luncheon, we all went with the team back over to the Alamodome for our team picture and practice walk through.

We left the dome at about 4pm and headed back to the hotel. Yesterday afternoon and evening was about the only free time it seems like I had since Christmas eve. It was a very busy, but fun day. You could feel the excitement starting to build for the reason we are here.....the GAME!!!

I am sitting in the locker room right now watching the guys set up the locker room. I will have some pictures later.


Benny Conger, and his wife Greta, attended the Kick Off Luncheon yesterday:

The cheerleaders did a GREAT job of getting the crowd going at the luncheon!

Even Wilbur was in attendance, and he was FIRED UP!

Coaches and players waiting around for the team picture in the Alamodome:
Director of Football Operations, Erick Harper, was showing the coaches where the coaches box was at up in the pressbox area:

Coach Stoops already had his game face and focus working at yesterday's walk through and team picture:

Nick Foles, and other players getting ready for the team picture with Coach Stoops:


The managers were waiting for the picture too, plus they were ready for the walk through practice after the picture:

This was right before we, the equipment staff, were added to the group:

The photographer for our team picture was AWESOME! We were done in minutes!

Our locker room sign out in the hallway of the Alamodome:

Managers were picking up and straightening the locker room up a little after the team left to go back to the hotel after our picture and walk through:

Oklahoma State Strength and Conditioning Coach, Gary Calcagno and I use to work together back at Washington State. We remain good friends and it was great to see him as we were leaving the dome and the Cowboys were arriving for their team picture and walk through:

A Busy Bowl Week!!!!!

If I had one complaint about this week in San Antonio it would be that I have been so busy that I have not been able to keep up with blogging like I would have. It has not all been work, but also many fun activities.

There has been a dinner every night that I had to attend, and getting in late and having to get up super early every morning made it very tough. I don't feel that I did a very good job blogging this bowl game.

I am sitting in Coach Stoop's personal locker room here in the AlamoDome blogging right now. I have been uploading pictures all morning and just now getting caught up on some stuff.

The morning started early once again, as we had to give our truck drivers a ride over to UIW to get the big rig that we loaded up after practice yesterday. We then moved everything over here to the dome. The managers have been working all morning setting up.

I am getting ready to have to go to a kickoff luncheon so I will blog after I get back and show pictures of the guys working this morning.

It has been a GREAT week, I just wish I could have done a better job of keeping everyone up to date with stories and pictures.

Below are some highlight pictures of the past few days.


The world's BEST rep, Dan Vooletich, made an appearance at one of our practices:

I was able to see my cousin, Mike Kipp, who coaches up the road a little in Blanco Texas:

I was also able to see one of my fellow student managers from my days at the University of Houston, Keith Day:

Another shot of the BEAUTIFUL campus and the managers working practice:

One of our practices at University of the Incarnate Word:

We had GREAT weather and perfect facilities all week!

University of Incarnate Word was a GREAT host and a BEAUTIFUL campus!

University of Incarnate Word is an OUTSTANDING facility, and the people there were AWESOME!!!!

Tito Foster, Juron Criner, Terrance Miller and Dan Buckner here at Seaworld:

Most of the players really enjoyed riding the Steel Eel, including myself (back still hurts though):

Justin Washington exiting the rollercoaster ride:

Derek Earls and Jake Ficsher enjoyed the Steel Eel rollercoaster:

A Very Busy Christmas for the Wildcats!!!

I am just now sitting down and writing as I have just got back to my hotel room from a dinner I went to tonight with our coaches and the Oklahoma State coaches. It seems to be the first break I have gotten since early yesterday morning, Christmas. So much has happened, but I wanted to blog a little about what all happened yesterday.

After Benny and 3 other managers unloaded everything at University of Incarnate Word on Christmas eve, we went early yesterday to get the team all set up for the next few days.

After getting everything set up, we had practice yesterday afternoon, then back to the hotel for a very nice Christmas dinner.

Below are some pictures from yesterday:



Mike Harlow sets up a player's locker yesterday morning at University of Incarnate Word (UIW):

UIW has a GREAT facility for us to use this week:
This is our equipment room in the players locker room area at UIW:

Here I am setting out valuable bags in the coaches lockers so they can put all their stuff in to, then we lock them all down during practice:

We brought our own towels for the players and coaches to use this week at UIW:
We brought all the essentials for our coaches to use each day:
Robert Lloyd and Ben Hulka helped me a lot in the coaches locker room:

Billy Worthington and Mike Baranowski (driving) use one of UIW's carts they are letting us use this week:

Managers set up one of chutes from Rogers Athletic that we brought from Tucson on the truck:


Alamo Bowl volunteer, Lou Kaluza, helped us out a lot on Christmas Day setting up our locker rooms and assisting in so many ways:

We had the coaches locker room looking nice yesterday when they arrived:

UIW has a GREAT locker room set up for us! We have nice lockers and plenty of space:

Managers did a great job of setting up the lockers at UIW:

Lot of media at our practice yesterday:

Jordan Bates running balls during drills on Christmas Day practice yesterday:

Ben Hulka, working with Coach Kish at yesterday's practice:

Jack Banker running balls during yesterday's practice:

Billy Worthington holding a down marker during team at yesterday's practice on Christmas Day:

Our offensive line after practice on Christmas Day:

Santa joined the team for Christmas Dinner last night:

The team had a very nice Christmas Dinner at the hotel last night:

Players enjoyed Christmas Dinner together, then got their bowl gifts from the Alamo Bowl afterwards:

Managers ate dinner with the team the last two nights:

Mike Harlow eating Christmas Dinner with the team last night:

One of our fabulous truck drivers, Bob Caprari, enjoyed having Christmas Dinner with the team last night:

Truck drivers: Bob Caprari and Bob Keith enjoy dinner with team last night:

Benny Conger, Billy Worthington and Michael Barnett enjoying dinner last night:

Managers: Michael Barnett, Jack Banker and Mike Baranowski enjoying dinner last night: