---
title: "What It Takes: Equipping the Football Team"
date: 2023-09-07T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/what-it-takes-equipping-the-football-team"
section: Articles
---
# What It Takes: Equipping the Football Team

*September 7, 2023* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> From 3D-Scanning Heads for Helmets to Scrubbing Out Stubborn Stains, Gridiron Gear Managers Support Terps’ Success

*230825 mlm fb drewhampton 60 1920x1080 — Drew Hampton adds UMD logos and decals to a game-day helmet, one of thousands of pieces of apparel and equipment he procures and oversees for the Terps football team.*

When [record-shattering quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa](https://today.umd.edu/tau-ring-over-marylands-record-books) and the rest of the Terps football team take the field this weekend [against Charlotte](https://umterps.com/news/2023/9/5/football-game-2-maryland-vs-charlotte-preview), every custom-fit cleat, high-tech helmet and broken-in game ball will be perfectly prepped, thanks to Senior Director of Football Equipment Operations Drew Hampton and his staff.

They order, inventory and distribute everything from blocking sleds to tackling dummies; shoulder pads to shower sandals—anything that the more than 200 football players and staff could possibly need throughout training camp and the regular season.

“I know we’re not out there playing. We’re not out there coaching. But we’re so invested, and we play an important role behind the scenes,” said Hampton, who oversees two full-time staff members, Jason Smith and Nathaniel Park ’90, as well as 15 student managers.

Hampton likes to say that he grew up going to “training camp, not summer camp.” His father, Bill, ran the equipment operation for the New York Jets for nearly four decades, and Drew Hampton and his four brothers have all carried on the tradition. He’s worked for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Washington Commanders and Western Kentucky University, and came to the University of Maryland in 2016. He always looked up to fellow Long Islander Boomer Esiason ’84, and was thrilled to join the Terps.

Hampton shares how he mixes old-school tactics and the latest tech to get the best gear for the Terps, why shaving cream and mud are essential for every football he prepares, and the toughest stains to get out—as well as the fate of Head Coach Mike Locksley’s outfit after he was [doused in mayonnaise](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKCQ_0Do8Hw) when the Terps won the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last year.

**On putting together uniforms:** The main component of our job as equipment managers is to stay abreast of all the newest technology and protective equipment. We pay attention to the testing going out there. It’s not cookie cutter, because every player that comes through the door is a different size and shape and plays a different position.


*closeup of hands putting Script Terps sticker on football helmet*


*Drew Hampton poses with his team — Hampton (center), with staff members Jason Smith (fifth from right) and Nathaniel Park ’90 (fourth from right), and student managers on the practice field at Jones-Hill House.*


*Drew Hampton hangs football pants*



**Sidebar note:**

Maryland Football (1-0) continues its three-game homestand with a matchup against Charlotte (1-0) on Saturday at SECU Stadium. The game is set to kick off at 7:37 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC and the Maryland Sports Radio Network. Find more details at [umterps.com](https://umterps.com/).





**Topics:** [Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/tags/athletics)


**Tags:** [Football](https://today.umd.edu/topic/football), [What It Takes](https://today.umd.edu/topic/what-it-takes)


**Units:** [Department of Intercollegiate Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/department-intercollegiate-athletics)