Attention to detail was Abbott's specialty
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BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
With a Johnny Cash tape playing in the background, Glen Abbott took Nebraska football equipment around the country for 33 years.
The former Husker equipment manager was in charge of NU football uniforms — cleaning, mending and at times purchasing and designing until 2001.
He ran the team manager program, packed the gear for the road and took care of every detail from the "N" on the helmets to extra cleats and hip pads for every game.
Abbott, 62, died April 8 and was remembered Wednesday at a memorial service at the First Baptist Church.
A Vietnam veteran of the U. S. Army, a member of the American Legion, Sowers Club and the National Football Equipment Managers Association, Abbott was a specialist in the logistics of supplying and equipping Nebraska football teams through 33 bowl games and three national championships.
"He had it all worked out whether we had to pack for 125 guys going to the Orange Bowl or the 225 people we had suiting up the last year we had freshman football," said Mike Mason, assistant equipment manager at NU. "We used to take the big van to away games. He'd drive down to the bowl game and I'd drive back. And there was always country music in the tape player when I got in."
Abbott learned about not surprising players with changes in the equipment over the year. He talked about the time he put on red facemasks right before the 1982 Orange Bowl game with Clemson. The next year, Glen designed new jerseys to celebrate the 50th Orange Bowl, "but we showed the players the changes early," Abbott said. "And we still lost."
Abbott once said the key to road games was being prepared for anything. "We had a couple of different sets of cleats and shoes, depending on weather and such and had to be ready to change everybody at a moment's notice."
On Sundays in the fall, Abbott and staff spent up to six hours working on getting the uniforms ready for the next week. A string of eight huge washers and dryers helped accomplish the job.
"He always had everything ready for everybody," said former NU back Clinton Childs. "It was pretty amazing if you ever stopped and watched what they did every day."
Abbott was an avid golfer and car collector — winning awards for his 1972 Cutlass Supreme convertible — and loved horses and dogs.
"Glen was a guy who made it work and was great to work with," said George Sullivan, former longtime NU trainer.
Abbott is survived by his son, Christopher, his daughter, Lezlie Adrianne, Christopher's wife, Mindy; Lezlie's husband, Paul Marshall; a grandson, Alex Abbott; Glen's mother, Flossie Sammons; two sisters, Shirley Durr and Betty Martin; and two brothers, Roy Stratton and Bill Abbott.
Memorials can be made to Lezlie Abbott, 2722 N. 48th St., Studio 2, Lincoln, NE 68504.
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