Starting with the 1967 NFL World Championship and continuing with every Super Bowl since, Toro has worked with the NFL grounds crew, providing expertise and equipment to prepare the game field and related grounds areas. It’s a legacy any champion would be proud of.
“Getting ready for a Super Bowl is a complex process,” says Ed Mangan, NFL Grounds Manager for the Super Bowl. “The turf has to respond to the players. Keep them safe. Help their game. It also has to survive pre-game festivities and half-time performances as challenging as running a herd of elephants through the field.”
“Toro has helped us answer that challenge with products and agronomic consultation,” Mangan explains. “Toro’s strengths go beyond having products to care for the turf. They have expertise that helps us predict how the turf will respond with the set of conditions at each host facility. And they’ve been there every year. Toro has stepped up with mowers, vehicles and equipment — anything we needed to get ready for each Super Bowl.”
Going Deep
In 2003, Toro and the NFL expanded the partnership, establishing the Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program to recognize one college student each year that has shown exemplary skill in turf management. The program provides hands-on experience in establishing and maintaining safe playing fields, managing turf areas, logo painting, field preparation for media day, and halftime preparation and cleanup.
This year’s recipient will work alongside Mangan and also learn from the legendary George Toma, a trusted consultant and advisor who has helped prepare the field for every Super Bowl game in history.
This Year’s Star Rookie
Kevin Hansen, a horticulture major at Iowa State University specializing in Turfgrass Management, will be in New Orleans to assist the grounds crew with preparations for Super Bowl XLVII. “Participating in the Super Bowl is an amazing opportunity that I cannot even fathom at this point,” says the Boone, Iowa, native. “I can’t wait to meet the NFL turf consultants and staff that make the Super Bowl come together.”
The judging panel selected Hansen from a large pool of applicants based on his application, required essay and extensive work history. Hansen has been instrumental in managing some notable fields in the Midwest, including Principal Park (home of the Iowa Cubs minor league baseball team), Lambeau Field (home of the Green Bay Packers), and the award-winning Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa (home of the Iowa State Cyclones).
Post-Game Highlights
“Toro is very fortunate to be the preferred partner of the NFL. By providing scholarships and educational programs like this, we can ensure that emerging turf professionals have an opportunity to develop their skills,” says Dale Getz, CSFM, Sports Fields and Grounds Sales Manager at Toro. “This is a very exciting time of year for all of us here at Toro, and we know Mr. Hansen will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience in New Orleans this February.”
* Super Bowl is a registered trademark of the NFL.
