 "Photo: Nick Esares / The Gamecock")
The man is well connected. On his desk are a cell phone and landline phone. The computer is up and running, and over on the wall is a set of walkie-talkies. In the depths of Williams-Brice Stadium, Chris Matlock sits in his office, finishing up a phone conversation.
Matlock, USC's head athletic equipment manager, gets off the phone and smiles.
"This is my job right here. This is what I spend a lot of time doing."
The scene belongs in a corporate headquarters in New York. Instead, it occurs adjacent to a room stocked full of helmets, jerseys and facemasks.
"As head equipment manager, I am in charge of purchasing, overseeing, maintaining and fixing the equipment for all the sports at Carolina."
While he does spend a good portion of his time doing office work and making sure Carolina's equipment needs are under control, Matlock's routine encompasses other activities.
When players have early morning lifting, it makes for a very long day.
"Some mornings, I have to get here very early to open up the stadium for the players," Matlock said. "Then, during the middle of the day, I'll take care of paperwork and phone calls.
"Around 4 o'clock, my student managers arrive to set up for practice. During practice, we take care of any equipment breakdowns, and then after practice we take care of the laundry. All of this means that I get out of here about 7:30 most nights."
While their work during the week is extremely important, it is game day when the equipment staff truly shines. Matlock and his crew of 18 arrive at the stadium five hours before kickoff. Pre-game activities vary from setting up the locker room to putting out coaches' apparel.
Early preparation also allows time to correct mistakes, as Matlock remembered an extremely close call in his first year at Carolina in 1999.
"At the time, we were using black-and-white jerseys, and Coach (Lou) Holtz wanted to use garnet jerseys. Well, the jerseys did not arrive on time, so I had to send one of the student managers to a warehouse to personally pick up the jerseys. We had to issue the jerseys only a couple of hours before kickoff.
"We played Georgia that day," Matlock said with a grin, "and I believe we intercepted (former UGA quarterback) Quincy Carter five times that day."
With the time and effort Matlock puts in, it's hard for players and coaches not to be appreciative.
"Chris is a good guy, and he is going to get you everything you need, as far as pads, equipment and everything else," said quarterback Blake Mitchell.
"My interaction with Chris is the same as with an assistant coach, to tell you the truth," coach Steve Spurrier said. "I consider the equipment man, the head trainer and the head strength coach just as important as the assistants. We are all on a big team together."
Fans will also see the equipment staff's efforts on the field this season, as last season's all-black uniforms and helmets shift to a more garnet-and-white focus.
"I believe that most Carolina fans, according to their letters, would prefer to see our team in garnet, black and white," Spurrier said. "Garnet and white has traditionally been the home uniform, and that is what we are going with."
The uniform change is one of hundreds of details inherent to being equipment manager, and it is obvious that Matlock loves every single one of them. He is particularly enthusiastic about the ever-evolving technology of sports equipment.
While Matlock takes on these tasks, details and deadlines on a daily basis, those surrounding him notice that he does so with an ever-present smile and laugh.
"Matlock is certainly a wonderful guy," Spurrier said. "He does a super job, and he is a fun guy to be around. He is my kind of guy."
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