Thanks in no small part to the effort and
ingenuity of these often overlooked technical
support staffs, the process of player acquisition
and development around this schedule-driven,
structure-oriented league has pressed on this
spring despite the closure of team facilities
due to the virus spread. Quarterbacks normally
have the market cornered on Most Valuable
Player awards, but let’s face it: The front-runners
for 2020 work in IT.
“The unsung heroes in all of this,” Atlanta
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said.
Just like in so many other workplaces during
these stay-at-home days, maintaining smooth
connections for disconnected employees is a
vital job. The difference in the NFL? Some of
them were on national television.
Detroit Lions director of information
technology Steve Lancaster spent the three-
day draft in a rented recreational vehicle
parked in general manager Bob Quinn’s
driveway, on call for socially distanced
technical support.
“Bob said, ‘Hey, in five minutes, you’re going
to be famous,’” Lancaster said, recalling the
first-round TV coverage of the RV. “From the
rest of the day and then into the second day,
the phone was buzzing constantly from text
messages and calls. I had fun with it, though.”
Jacksonville Jaguars vice president of
technology Mike Webb was stationed during
the draft at general manager Dave Caldwell’s
house, 6 feet apart in the same room. Webb
wore a mask, had his own bathroom and
sanitized every surface he touched.