Ryne Nicholson doesn't get much sleep on Saturday nights.

He arrives at the UAB football operations complex long before the twilight of Sunday morning and awaits the arrival of Kenny Taylor. Nicholson begins loading around 120 game jerseys and pants into massive industrial washing machines when he hears the warning beeps of the equipment truck backing up to the loading dock on the 11th Street side of the complex.

Taylor finishes parking the truck and meets Nicholson for a quick chat before leaving the latter to it. His assistants and interns will begin to file in once the sun creeps over the horizon so only a few hours separate the end from the beginning of his work week.

Nicholson, a Tennessee native and graduate of the University of Tennessee and East Tennessee State, was named the Director of Football Equipment for the Blazers in May - after serving as the assistant manager to football and head manager of the women's basketball and baseball programs - and has developed his own system in that short amount of time to ensure the program's equipment needs are met on a daily basis while preparing logistics and strategies for upcoming road games and beyond.

"It's pretty much just a continuation," he said. "Sunday is the start and Thursday night after we pack the bags after practice, that's our finish line. We have all week to do that on top of balancing a budget and every regular duty including coaches' laundry, staff laundry and player's workout laundry in the mornings or any helmet or cleat problems. That's our race time."

**

Taylor pulls out his cellphone and dials Nicholson's number. The equipment truck left the operations complex several hours ago following Thursday's practice and federal regulations demand that Taylor pull over and rest before finishing his trek. He relays his intentions to Nicholson, who then confirms his arrival time the next morning at the opposition's stadium.

It's a week-long endeavor that brings Nicholson and his staff to this point of their game week duties. They fly with the team to each away game and are prepared to setup for game day on Friday morning as soon as the equipment docks at that week's destination.

"We have a pack list and we just check it off," he said. "We make sure everything is done to where we have to restock expos, sharpies and pens to armbands, underwear and compression; you name it. I always tell them its better to over pack than to under pack because I'd rather bring back 10 t-shirts than be without. You got to pack backup cleats, backup helmets, backup shoulder pads, knee pads and thigh pads, coacher's gear and backup to that, backup shoes, footballs and kicking net. I'm a guy who likes two of everything, I know that can't be done everywhere, but you just never know."

Nicholson also carries the burden for what may be one of the more important pieces of equipment on gameday.

Said Nicholson: "Backup gum. Coach likes to chew gum on the sideline so I bring him backup gum."

Staying ahead of schedule is the name of the game for Nicholson. Jerseys and pants are washed and cleaned on Sunday and Monday with select uniforms sent off for mending purposes due to rips or tears suffered in the game. What wasn't used the previous week - such as different uniform pants and helmets - is loaded onto the truck early, along with any standard equipment used each game.

Nicholson keeps his list updated during the week and makes amendments when circumstances require as to keep from falling behind and rushing to complete load-out on Thursday.

"The travel list will change a little bit but not more than two or three people," he said. "We have a really good idea who we take on the road so that helps on away games. I'd rather hurry up and wait that way I can touch on other things or just relax because it's a grind. I can also double and triple check myself throughout the week and space it out."

The man who makes it all possible, in Nicholson's opinion, is Taylor. The UAB program employs Armstrong Relocation for its trucking needs and Taylor has been the driver for the Blazers' equipment truck since 2014. He usually makes the drive solo but longer trips require a second driver and he has carried a student intern with him on occasion to help with unloading.

"He's great," Nicholson said. "It's a little continuity. This is only my second year so he's been through a little more Conference USA schools. He knows the routes and he knows what to do to get there to and from. We have constant communication throughout the week with Tuesday being my contact with him. We like to get in a scheduled routine but there are updates and you have to be ready for sudden changes."

If all goes according to plan, there will be no headlines in the Sunday paper detailing the equipment staff's tireless efforts or underperformance during the game. That's exactly how Nicholson likes it because if nobody is talking about them, that means they did a good job.

"We want to be noticed while going unnoticed," he said. "Nobody really knows what we do but we are a part of helping the whole thing run. They've done a great job about that and we just try to be as efficient as possible."

**

Nicholson sits relaxed at his desk on a Tuesday afternoon as the majority of the equipment has already been loaded on the truck. A few members of his staff are at a work bench repairing various helmets while players enter the room and retrieve their practice gear for the day.

Aside from game day preparations, the staff is heavily involved during practice keeping player gear and jerseys clean and ready to use each day of the week.

"Their helmets, jerseys, cleats and everything stay at their locker," Nicholson said. "They'll turn in their laundry on a loop afterwards, their locker number 1-120, and we'll wash and dry and then we'll put it back out. If guys have to workout in the morning with their designated group, they'll just come in and pull their loop."

"For example, D.A. Williams is 1 on the field and 1 in the locker room so everything he owns is labeled 1. But Anthony Rush is 47 on the field and he has locker 49, so he's 49-47. His locker in here and locker out there all matches up to be numbered that way."

It's not just keeping practice gear clean, however. Nicholson and his staff also help run the organized practices. A responsibility not unknown to him after working for the Tennessee Titans as a member of the grounds crew before coming to UAB.

"It's more than just making sure they have a helmet," he said. "We're pulling hoses off in 7-on-7, we're shagging balls and sometimes guys will be "fill-in" players for formation checks. They'll never have the ball thrown to them but they'll be the X-Y-Z receiver or something like that."

**

Like most aspects of the UAB football program, the equipment department has benefited significantly from the operations complex built prior to the 2017 season. It has been specifically suited for videography, recruiting and equipment needs, and is arguably one of the finest on Conference USA and on-par with some Power 5 programs.

The locker system itself is as organized as any you'll find in a Division I program and high-density space savers make efficient use of storage keeping all equipment contained within a defined space. There is also work benches for equipment repair and adjustment such as helmets and cleats.

A far cry from what previous staffs had to endure before the renaissance of UAB football.

"It's great to have this facility because we could still be operating out of Bartow," Nicholson said. "You can get caught up in it and wish you had more sometimes but then you just sit back and realize that you're blessed to have what he have. Three washers and dryers, double monitor computers, loading dock, I even got a TV here so it's my second home. You kind of have to pinch yourself a little bit and be like, 'this is real life.'"

One unique aspect of Nicholson's work is the uniform. The Blazers may not have the plethora of combinations that the Oregon Ducks have but green, gold and a dragon lends itself to numerous possibilities.

One of the more high-profile combos has been that of the "Ice Dragon" road design. An all-white design with a "icy" Blazer logo emblazoned on the helmet harkens imagery of the Game of Thrones book series. Not to mention the often overlooked "scales" located within the design of the shoulder stripes.

While uniform decisions ultimately come down to head coach Bill Clark, a few suggestions from Nicholson have made it to the field during his time with the Blazers but most are not approved by the end of the process.

"Coach and I have worked side by side with a few uniforms that weren't passed through but we have something in store for next year," he said. "It's the 150 year college football anniversary and I think we're going to cook up something for the Blazers. Obviously we're not going to come out wearing purple but we got some twerks and things we like to do. We all have creative minds and coming up with new ideas - like a red facemask with flames - but the green and gold is working."

Not that Nicholson's favorite cold blooded reptilian design won't make a return later this season. As the man who holds the keys to the kingdom of gear, he might have something to say about it.

"The Ice Dragon is not done this year, it's going to come back."