Meet the four ‘uncles’ responsible for equipping and fitting Chargers on game days
LA TimesChris Smith didn’t just saunter into his position as director of equipment operations for the Chargers. “We had a blank grass field at UC San Diego, and Sid said, ‘Oh, if you didn’t know, you’re painting the fields out there for training camp,’” said Smith, 58, referring to legendary equipment manager Sid Brooks, who was with the Chargers from 1973 to 2000 before a five-year stint at USC. … And we did it.” That was a lifetime ago for Smith, known around the Chargers facility as “Smitty.” He and assistant equipment manager Kevin Duddy have been with the franchise more than 30 years, and now oversee an entire wing of “The Bolt” — the team’s new training facility in El Segundo — that’s dedicated to equipment storage. “Sometimes I’ll see a guy wearing something in a game and I’m like, ‘Oh, don’t do that,’” Smith said. “They’re always trying to squash some of this stuff.” VIDEO | 00:26 How the Chargers prep game balls Equipment assistant Chad Jessop shows what the Chargers do to prep balls for games and practices.
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