Nebraska student managers keep football program humming
LINCOLN, Neb. — They spend hours a day with the Nebraska football team. They're given free apparel and have access to tickets. They're on the sidelines for games.
They must have the best jobs in the world, friends and family tell the Cornhuskers' student managers.
“I agree. It's great. But there's a lot that they don't see that a lot of people wouldn't think is that great,” fourth-year manager Mitchell Ruybalid said. “I like to let them think they're really missing out.”
Fans might catch a glimpse of managers at the stadium or on TV serving as ball persons on game days. It's a small fraction of what they do seven days a week and at odd hours. Most also carry a full load of classes.
The managers play essential roles at practices spotting the ball, setting first-down chains and shagging balls, among other things. They set up and put away equipment. They also do the laundry long after everyone has left the locker room.
The Huskers will have 18 managers when fall classes begin Monday. That includes returning managers and a handful of young men and women who were invited after making it through a trial run during spring practice.
About 10 of the returning managers are paid minimum wage and everyone else is a volunteer. All are given Adidas Nebraska football Tshirts, shorts and shoes for practices in addition to game-day apparel. Each is allowed two tickets per home game for family or friends.
“At first, as a freshman, you come in here and you're kind of wideeyed,” fourth-year manager Espen Sandnes said. “You don't normally see all the Husker practices and you're not used to seeing all the players. Now it's like a normal day's work.”
Managers show up before 7:30 a.m. in the preseason and eat breakfast together at the training table. Head managers Jackson Powell and Ruybalid go to the coaches' offices to pick up the practice scripts. Powell meets briefly with defensive coordinator Bob Diaco and Ruybalid with offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf for additional instructions. Powell and Ruybalid go to the equipment room to delegate tasks to the rest of the managers. Then everyone goes outside to set up cones, blocking pads, pop-up dummies and other equipment.
“I give a lot of responsibility to the head managers because I feel it's a good education experience for them,” head equipment manager Jay Terry said. “They do the scheduling, they send information out. They're a senior in college getting ready to go into the real world. They really step up to the plate and surprise you how organized and efficient they can be.”
On a recent morning, the managers finished setting up at Memorial Stadium and killed time playing touch football. The game broke up once the team came out for warmups.
Coaches and some players threw around balls and one bounced far down the field.
“Little help, Espen,” linebackers coach Trent Bray yelled. A fireplug of a man, Sandnes chased down the ball and threw a perfect spiral back to Bray from about 35 yards, prompting a round of hoots and cheers from impressed players.
Things move at a fast pace when practice begins. A manager typically works with the same position group each day. Sandnes, who's with the defensive backs, made sure a new ball was ready after each play. Kelli Leachman, one of two female managers, was on the chain gang during a live drill and later caught snaps during offensive line group work. Managers at other stations got down on a knee and flipped underhand snaps to quarterbacks for passing drills. Others were ball shaggers.
After practice, the managers loaded the back of a utility vehicle, hauled away equipment and took turns doing laundry into the afternoon or evening.