Deep in the heart of Tiger Stadium, long before 102,321 fans roar and the Golden Band march down Victory Hill, another team is already at work. They don’t wear pads or jerseys, but without them, LSU Football isn’t possible. The LSU equipment staff is the tireless crew behind every piece of purple and gold that hits the field.

Most people don’t know or think about the effort and time that goes into every single detail of LSU Football. Co-Head Manager Nicholas Quintini is one of the main people overseeing the equipment processes here at LSU.

“For each player, it’s their helmet, shoulder pads, jersey, pants, at least two pairs of cleats, thigh pads, knee pads, mouthpieces, gloves, really anything you see on the field is us,” Quintini explained.

Mike Denton, another manager for the equipment staff, explained the weekly schedule leading up to a home football game, which the amount of work, would be surprising to most.

The staff is given the responsibility to work with certain players by their position and set up their warm-ups and drills for practices. After they have to go through every helmet and fix any damages, make sure they stay polished, but most of all, safe and working, going into Saturday’s game.

Once all the equipment is looked over and ready for gameday, they pack up every piece of gear into large packing bags, racks, and containers onto an 18-wheeler that transports the load from the Football Operations Facility to Death Valley.

They make sure to blast music and run around in every direction possible with arms full of gear, dropping off different items at different players’ lockers. Unzipping bags full of pads that may need more drilling, clean cleats, and helmets that each staff member put more than 5 hours into looking over.

“We really are a family, some of these guys will be at my wedding, that’s how close we are,” Andrew Sontheimer mentioned.

The staff is a very warm and welcoming group of people who share both a passion for their team but also a sense of community. For them, it isn’t just about the meticulous work; it is about working together.

From running around on the field when a player needs something to just making sure the locker room is set, their job is unbelievably important.

Next time you are watching an LSU Football game, make sure to watch the team behind the team in action; you wouldn’t want to miss it.

Make sure to stay updated on LSU Football as the Tigers take on the Arkansas Razorbacks here in Death Valley this Saturday at 11:45 AM.