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supply and demand Equipment Manager Chris Matlock does more than laundry Tom Benning FOR 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, i Chris Matlock sits in his office, finishing up a * phone conversation. Madock, 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,” Madock 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. V 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.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gurm.sc.edu * He came to USC in the spring of 2000 I after serving as Notre Dame's athletic equipment manager. : i • r: ■' ^ ' V. W He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from UT-Chattanooga and graduated Institute in 2002. \ ,> ^ He serves on the board of directors for the Palmetto Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Graphic illustration by Laura-Joyce Gough/THE GAMECOCK NUkEsara/im (MMKCOGK USC Equipment Manager Chris Matlock is responsible for making sure the Gamecocks are properly equipped for practice and games on a daily basis. ’GamecockGreats: Steve Taneyhill Boisterous quarterback defined magical run to Carolina's first bowl win in 1994 campaign fllex Riley ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Flamboyant. Outspoken. Cocky. Troublemaker. All these words have been used to ^ describe former Gamecock P quarterback Steve Taneyhill’s style while at USC. But Tom Price might have summed it up best with the phrase USC fans still remember him by — that crazy Yankee quarterback. Taneyhill arrived in Columbia after finishing his career in Altoona, Pa., as one of the most sought-after quarterbacks coming out of high school in 1992. Offers rolled in from throughout the country, but USC landed the 6-foot-3-inch freshman, and things in Gamecock Nation have never been the same. “I had opportunities to go to Florida State, to Alabama, to Miami,” Taneyhill said. “But on my visit, every player I seemed to introduced to was a younger guy. Obviously, the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback job had a lot to do with choosing South Carolina.” The 18-year-old seemed to stand out in a crowd, dawning an almost mullet-like ponytail and earrings. Before arriving in the state, Taneyhill told fans and media members that he would be starting as a freshman at quarterback before the season was finished. Some fans were shocked at his style, but the real surprise was his style of play. » After receiving no playing time in Carolina’s first four contests — all defeats - USC coach Sparky Woods began playing musical chairs with upperclassman quarterbacks Wright Mitchell and Blake Williamson, but nothing seemed to jumpstart the Gamecock offense. With a 38-0 deficit at the half against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Woods was prepared to try anything, and did just that, inserting Taneyhill into a game-time situation for the first time. One hundred thirty-five yards on 10 completions and a touchdown later, Taneyhill was about to be the unquestioned new man under center. The rest of season was nothing short of the Steve Taneyhill show, as the rookie quarterback showed no signs of his youth, guiding USC to a 21-6 upset of No. 15 Mississippi State, a comeback win against Vanderbilt and, perhaps one of USC’s most stunning .wins since joining the SEC, a 24-23 conquest against No. 16 Tennessee. But it was the last game of the 1992 season that would forever give Taneyhill a lasting image in Gamecock history. With a bowl bid out of reach, USC traveled to Death Valley to face the Tigers in a battle for bragging rights. Under the steady hand of an unwavering freshman, Carolina derailed Clemson 24-13 behind two touchdown strikes from Taneyhill. The moment that might have defined the quarterbacks career came after one of his touchdown passes. Taneyhill proceeded to autograph the tiger paw at midfield, standing in the center and raising his arms to the Tiger fans. The 1993 season failed to yield much after an upset victory late in the game against Georgia, as USC finished 4-7 and thus finished Woods’ career as Gamecock coach. New Athletics Director Mike McGee brought in former Florida State assistant Brad Scott for the 1994 season. The long-haired Yankee was told to lose the locks, setting the tone that Scott was running the team, and it paid off. Scott’s arrival heralded a new flavor for offense, as Scott put the offense on the arm of his star quarterback Taneyhill, who would guide the program to a place it had never been. The Gamecocks would open the season with a 4-1 start before losing to East Carolina in a record-setting day for the junior signal caller. Taneyhill rolled up 451 yards on 39 completions, but the defense failed to shut the Pirates down in a 52-46 loss. The next four games produced only one win, giving USC a 5-5 record heading into the season-ending battle with Clemson. This time around, it was Carolina’s day to dominate, as Taneyhill and the USC offense rolled up a 33-7 beating of the Tigers in a game that would send USC to its ninth bowl game, a Jan. 2 matchup with West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl. Taneyhill accomplished something no other quarterback had, bringing USC out of the darkness and into a season that finished with a win. A national TV audience on CBS watched as the Gamecocks’ losing ifcreak ended with a 24-21 win against the Mountaineers and earning Taneyhill MVP honors. “To go and play a West Virginia team that had been sort of like us, they had lost a bunch of games at the beginning and went on a roll to get their sixth win,” Taneyhill said. “It was just great to be in Miami for a week. “Coach Scott said it to us at the beginning of the week, ‘If you win this game, this is something that you guys who are on this ‘94 team, they can never take this from you. You are the team that won the first bowl game.’ “To a lot of other schools that’s nothing, but at that time it was big for South Carolina.” In his final season as USC quarterback, Taneyhill led the Gamecocks to another 6-5 season. This time it wasn’t enough to get the Gamecocks into the postseason, as the SEC boosted teams with better records and stronger showings. “We did have some success. I mean, I started 40 games at Carolina in a row,” Taneyhill said. “We beat some topv20 teams when I was a freshman. I just wish we could have won more games. Of the 40 games I started, I think we went 20-19-1. I mean, that’s t TiKlCVHILL • 86 Tim Dominick/ The State Former USC quarterback Steve Taneyhill taunts Clemson fans after a 1992 win. • USC's all-time leader in completions, completion percentage and touchdowns •Led the Gamecodts to their first ever bowl victory in 1995 when USC defeated West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl • Is. now the head football coach at Chesterfield High School in South Carolina Graphic illustration by Laura-Joyce Gough!Tl IB (JAMEGWIK