By Daniel Harris
Special to the Lorian

When the Loras football team takes the field on Saturday mornings, the fans do not see how much work it takes to get the team game-ready. For one Loras sophomore, this hard work starts far before game day.

Kevin Zack, the team manager, is in charge of getting the Duhawks ready for game day throughout the week.

Kevin Zack

Zack can be seen on the field hours before practice begins, setting up equipment that the players will need for the day, and hours after practice editing down practice film for the players to watch during team meetings.

On game days Zack will not be seen by fans. He is the man behind the scenes for the Duhawks, filming every game for players to review, recording every play the team makes into a computer, and writing down each play called by the team. This is normally a three man job, but for Zack it comes naturally.

He excelled as a team manager in high school for all four years, and now has held the job for a little less than two years here at Loras.

Two summers ago, Zack applied to work for his favorite professional football team, the Minnesota Vikings.

“I got a number of one of the managers in the organization and I kept calling until they gave me the job,” Zack said.

During his time with the Vikings, Zack got to perfect his craft as a team manager. From the start of summer workouts all the way through training camp, he organized equipment for all of the players and made sure they always had what they needed to perform on the field.

“Since I worked with the team all summer, I got to know many of the players,” said Zack. “Adrian Peterson had to have the hardest handshake I have ever felt.”

His love for the game of football goes far beyond just the playing aspect of the game. Zack knew he wanted to be a team manger from the beginning.

“First off, I was asked to be one in high school. But honestly, I love the behind the scenes work that goes into a football game: jerseys, pants, equipment and water,” he said.

His dedication to his team has been well known and recognized. In high school, his coaches bought Zack a letter jacket to show their appreciation for his hard work and dedication to the sport.

He also received an honorary managerial doctorate and had the honor of having an award named after him during his senior year of high school.

Zack’s bid for managerial perfection has continued into his collegiate carrier as well. He has received high praise from Coach Steve Osterberger. “He is the best manager that I ever have had,” he said. “He is dependable and trustworthy.”

Players for the Duhawks even go as far to say that Zack has an effect on how they prepare for practice and games.

“He does affect how we play,” said sophomore wide receiver Gavin Kaiser. “He is serious about his work and he gets a lot of things ready for drills and helps out during those drills. He really makes things easy on us.”

But Zack’s hard work and dedication does not stop at just the football field. He is also the varsity basketball team manager, and he brings to the basketball court the same work and dedication that he shows on the football field.

To the coaches at Loras College, it has become obvious that this sophomore from North Branch, Minnesota is not just a normal team manager.

To them, Kevin Zack is a professional, and there is no doubt that he has a bright future at any level in the sports management world.