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<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><font color="#3333FF">Behind the Scenes</FONT> </H1>

<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>The Auburn Equipment Room</I></FONT></H3>


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<P>If the Auburn football team arrived at an away game and realized half of its jerseys were missing, you can bet equipment manager Frank Cox would take most of the blame.
<P>Luckily, that's never happened, but Cox had to bail North Texas out of the same predicament when they visited here in 1981.
<P>"Luckily, we had white practice jerseys," Cox said. "I knew that one of the sporting goods stores had some green numbers. So we got a set of uniforms to look like the originals, and some people never knew. Of course, I look at stuff like that, so I would have noticed, but some people never even knew the difference."
<P>That wasn't the only time a team has come in missing an essential part of its uniform.
Cox and his staff have been fortunate through the years to not have had to scramble at the last minute to find helmets, kneepads, jerseys, or the countless other pieces of equipment that the team takes on the road.
<P>"Knock on wood, we've never forgotten anything major. But like I said, knock on wood," Cox said.
<P>And since Cox and his staff usually have to drive the equipment rather than fly it, there's always a chance that automobile problems will plague them just like they've plagued most everyone.
<P>"I always leave a lot earlier than you'd think you'd have to," Cox said. "That gives us enough time that if we break down, we can make arrangements. That's another plus of having cellular phones these days."
<P>Back at Auburn, a typical week for Cox involves a lot of laundry, mending uniforms, swapping shoes, repairing helmets, and a variety of other things.
<P>"In trying to keep a place like this clean, it's a never ending task," Cox said. "You're always preparing for the next game. We spend one full day a week mending things. There are always 10-12 jerseys that have to be sewn together. Plus, the early mornings for me is the only time for paperwork."
<P>During home games, Cox and his managers are on the sidelines, adjusting this and swapping that.
"If we're prepared correctly, hopefully not much goes on at the game for us," Cox said. "If something breaks or rips during the middle of the game, we have to tend to that immediately. Rightfully so, that player needs to be playing, not sitting on the sideline because he's got a tear in his jersey."
<P>There were many tears in jerseys years ago, however, as tearaway jerseys were all the rage in college football. Cox remembers the game former Auburn great Joe Cribbs went through a slew of tearaways.
<P>"Joe Cribbs had 10 torn off him in the first half against Vanderbilt one year," Cox said. "He had 180 yards at halftime. I think every touchdown he scored in the first half, he didn't have a jersey on."
<P>Authentic jerseys make a nice keepsake for fans, and Cox has had no problem selling them over the years. When the great Bo Jackson came through, Cox had no trouble whatsoever earning a little extra money for the athletic department.
<P>"With a guy like Bo, the athletic department had a lot of requests for his jerseys," Cox said. "People would raffle them off for charity-type events. I knew we would have a lot of requests, and I tried to make the jerseys as authentic as possible, which usually meant he had worn them at one time or another."
<P>Cox figures there are probably about 60 authentic #34's in the hands of fans.
<P>&nbsp;

<B><h3>Here are some other tidbits about Auburn's equipment:</h3></B>

<P>Number of jerseys Bo Jackson wore in his career at Auburn: Approximately 150.
<P>Number of mouthpieces used by the team each year: 1,500-2,000.
<P>Loads of wash done a day: Approximately 25.
<P>Pairs of shoes a player averages per year: Four; though kickers go through more.
<P>Number of helmets in invoice: 150-160.
<P>Number of footballs Auburn bought when Cox joined the staff in 1978: 75.
<P>Number of footballs bought this year: 288.
<P>Largest shoe size on the team: William Clifton wears a 16.
<P>Largest shoe size ever on the team: Offensive lineman Willie Anderson (1993-95) wore a 17, though Cox buys a couple of pairs of 18's each year just in case.


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	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><font color="#3333FF">Behind the Scenes</FONT> </H1>

	<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>The Auburn Equipment Room</I></FONT></H3>



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	<P>If the Auburn football team arrived at an away game and realized half of its jerseys were missing, you can bet equipment manager Frank Cox would take most of the blame.
	<P>Luckily, that's never happened, but Cox had to bail North Texas out of the same predicament when they visited here in 1981.
	<P>"Luckily, we had white practice jerseys," Cox said. "I knew that one of the sporting goods stores had some green numbers. So we got a set of uniforms to look like the originals, and some people never knew. Of course, I look at stuff like that, so I would have noticed, but some people never even knew the difference."
	<P>That wasn't the only time a team has come in missing an essential part of its uniform.
	Cox and his staff have been fortunate through the years to not have had to scramble at the last minute to find helmets, kneepads, jerseys, or the countless other pieces of equipment that the team takes on the road.
	<P>"Knock on wood, we've never forgotten anything major. But like I said, knock on wood," Cox said.
	<P>And since Cox and his staff usually have to drive the equipment rather than fly it, there's always a chance that automobile problems will plague them just like they've plagued most everyone.
	<P>"I always leave a lot earlier than you'd think you'd have to," Cox said. "That gives us enough time that if we break down, we can make arrangements. That's another plus of having cellular phones these days."
	<P>Back at Auburn, a typical week for Cox involves a lot of laundry, mending uniforms, swapping shoes, repairing helmets, and a variety of other things.
	<P>"In trying to keep a place like this clean, it's a never ending task," Cox said. "You're always preparing for the next game. We spend one full day a week mending things. There are always 10-12 jerseys that have to be sewn together. Plus, the early mornings for me is the only time for paperwork."
	<P>During home games, Cox and his managers are on the sidelines, adjusting this and swapping that.
	"If we're prepared correctly, hopefully not much goes on at the game for us," Cox said. "If something breaks or rips during the middle of the game, we have to tend to that immediately. Rightfully so, that player needs to be playing, not sitting on the sideline because he's got a tear in his jersey."
	<P>There were many tears in jerseys years ago, however, as tearaway jerseys were all the rage in college football. Cox remembers the game former Auburn great Joe Cribbs went through a slew of tearaways.
	<P>"Joe Cribbs had 10 torn off him in the first half against Vanderbilt one year," Cox said. "He had 180 yards at halftime. I think every touchdown he scored in the first half, he didn't have a jersey on."
	<P>Authentic jerseys make a nice keepsake for fans, and Cox has had no problem selling them over the years. When the great Bo Jackson came through, Cox had no trouble whatsoever earning a little extra money for the athletic department.
	<P>"With a guy like Bo, the athletic department had a lot of requests for his jerseys," Cox said. "People would raffle them off for charity-type events. I knew we would have a lot of requests, and I tried to make the jerseys as authentic as possible, which usually meant he had worn them at one time or another."
	<P>Cox figures there are probably about 60 authentic #34's in the hands of fans.
	<P>

	<B><h3>Here are some other tidbits about Auburn's equipment:</h3></B>

	<P>Number of jerseys Bo Jackson wore in his career at Auburn: Approximately 150.
	<P>Number of mouthpieces used by the team each year: 1,500-2,000.
	<P>Loads of wash done a day: Approximately 25.
	<P>Pairs of shoes a player averages per year: Four; though kickers go through more.
	<P>Number of helmets in invoice: 150-160.
	<P>Number of footballs Auburn bought when Cox joined the staff in 1978: 75.
	<P>Number of footballs bought this year: 288.
	<P>Largest shoe size on the team: William Clifton wears a 16.
	<P>Largest shoe size ever on the team: Offensive lineman Willie Anderson (1993-95) wore a 17, though Cox buys a couple of pairs of 18's each year just in case.


	<!--
	<B><h3>Up Close</h3></B>

	<P><B>What is your favorite type of music?</B>
	<br><I> "Gospel."</I>
	<p>
	<B>How did you meet your wife?</B>
	<br> <I>"At church."</I>
	<p>
	<B>Where is your favorite place to eat in Auburn?</B><br>
	<I> "Cheeburger, Cheeburger."</I>-->
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