Groundskeeper George Toma, 91, preps field for Super Bowl LV

Updated: 7:05 AM EST Jan 27, 2021

Groundskeeper George Toma, 91, has prepared the fields for every Super Bowl played. He recently gave sister station KMBC a sneak peek of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Toma was part of this year's preparation, from stripping the previous field, laser grading and bringing in new sod."When you have a Super Bowl on natural grass, you have to start a sod 18 months ahead of the game," he explained. "So this sod has been growing on the farm in Georgia for 18 months."Next up: painting the end zone logos for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ed Mangan, NFL Field Director, described the respect Toma has earned through his experience."He's the guy who was at Super Bowl I. None of us were," he said. "He is just a walking history book."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With less than a week before Super Bowl LV kicks off in Tampa Bay, the coronavirus pandemic continues to loom large.

On Monday, ESPN senior NFL writer Adam Schefter tweeted that two Kansas City Chiefs players, wide receiver Damarcus Robinson and center Daniel Kilgore have been placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

The designation was due to possible exposure to a close contact.

The pair now enter a protocol that could still leave them in position to play Sunday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said none of the players have tested positive for the virus. If the two continue to test negative they should be able to play Sunday.

This story originally reported by Sam Hartle on KSHB.com.

To keep the Super Bowl as a "neutral site," the National Football League has informed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they cannot fire their cannons after touchdowns or big plays.

That's according to a statement the Bucs released on Twitter Tuesday.

"The firing of the cannons after big plays is a tradition that defines what it means to be a Buccaneer fan and serves as a signature element of our home game experience at Raymond James Stadium," the team said. "However, we also acknowledge and understand the NFL's position with regards to maintaining the integrity of a neutral site atmosphere for Super Bowl LV. While the cannons may not fire in their typical fashion, we look forward to showcasing parts of our tradition while working within the league's guidelines."

The Bucs, who are the first-ever team to play in a Super Bowl that they are also hosting, are set to play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 7.

TAMPA BAY — Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans won’t soon forget their Super Bowl LV victory on their home turf of Raymond James Stadium.

Reilly Haney will make sure of that. He has hand-written every single word that Buccaneers play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff said during the big game onto a poster. It’s a calligram. When you step back, it creates the Bucs logo.

“Handwriting and patience are all it takes,” Haney said. “I can’t draw. I can’t paint. But I have this creative energy I like to unleash every once in a while.”

Haney is a disabled U.S. Navy veteran who turned a hobby into a career by creating Calligrammer.

“Everything you see on the print is my actual handwriting,” Haney said.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This poster commemorating the Bucs as Super Bowl champions contains nearly 10,000 hand-written words that took 40-50 hours to write.

“I would have the game on my computer and pausing it and playing it like ten seconds at a time,” Haney said. “Deckerhoff would say ‘Leonard Fournette runs in for a touchdown.’ I pause it, write that. It’s a lot more tedious than reading it. Tedium is the name of the game.”

Haney, who lives in San Diego, first got in the game by putting pen to paper after the “Philly Special,” a play that helped the Philadephia Eagles win Super Bowl LII.

“I did it because I could not find any Eagles artwork that I liked for the house,” Haney said. “I saw this style from someone who did it for comic books. I emailed him asking if he would make something like this. He was not into sports. So, you know I have decent handwriting and a whole bunch of patience, so why not give it a shot.”

Yes, he’s an Eagles fan but finds something distinctive about Deckerhoff.

“They don’t come like Deckerhoff,” Haney said. “Just writing that he has a whole bunch of energy that you don’t find anywhere else. You guys are really lucky to have him.”

The Buccaneers print on Calligrammer sells for $35.

Kyle Burger at WFTS first reported this story.