Head Coach Tony Dungy will bring up to 88 hungry players to camp on Sunday, kicking the University of Tampa Dining Services into action
Training camp is just around the corner, and a group of professionals is getting ready for their most intense portion of the year.
Soon, they will go to work in a heated environment characterized by furious bursts of activity. They will wear uniforms and show off their quick and steady hands. And they'll satisfy a large group of people that are counting on them.
And we're not talking about football players. Though this part of the job description sounds similar to what lies ahead for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we're actually referring to the men and women who work for the University of Tampa Dining Services. When the Bucs' 2001 Training Camp gets underway next Sunday, this group will be hard at work, just like the players.
One big difference: here, in the dining hall, a loaf is okay. It's a necessity, as a matter of fact. And not just one…40 loaves a day.
That's the amount of bread the University of Tampa Dining Services puts out for every lunch during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' training camp in order to satisfy 85 hungry players and the rest of the football staff. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
On the football field, a 'loaf' is something to avoid; it's the coaches' designation of a play in which the player did not give the effort required of him. Since no one wants that on his practice chart, each player works fanatically hard at practice, despite brutal temperatures and stifling humidity.
That leads to some very hungry, very large men that the UT dining services must satisfy. It's not unusual for a player to lose 5-10 pounds at a single training camp practice, which means there's a dire need to refuel before the next workout during two-a-days.
So that's where the 40 loaves of bread comes in. Not to mention 25 gallons of soup and 200 whole chickens. And that's just lunch.
Breakfast requires approximately 1,000 eggs and 650 pieces of fruit per day. Hungry Bucs in the dinner line can whip through 250 pounds of prime rib and six gallons and 40 pounds of salad.
Want to get a full idea of what the Bucs' training camp roster is capable of plowing through on a daily basis? Check out the charts below, and bring your appetite.
Average Daily Food Preparation during Training Camp
| Breakfast | |
| 1000 eggs | 50 lbs of sausage |
| 50 lbs of bacon | 200 lbs of hash browns |
| 500 breakfast patties | 650 pieces of fruit |
| 20 gallons of milk | 15 lbs of cereal |
| Lunch | |
| 25 gallons of soup | 40 loaves of bread |
| 60 lbs of cold cuts & cheese | 30 lbs of tuna fish |
| 40 lbs of salad | 6 gallons of salad dressing |
| 200 lbs of pasta | 200 whole chickens |
| Dinner | |
| 250 lbs of prime rib | 15 gallons of ice cream |
| 200 lbs of shrimp | 70 lbs of vegetables |
| 90 lbs of potatoes | 40 lbs of salad |
| 6 gallons of salad dressing | 15 gallons of soup |
Of course, that's just the daily staples. The typical lunch or dinner provides four or five entrée choices in addition to the standards. Still, the above list gives a vivid account of the amount of energy that will be expended during the three weeks of training camp this summer. It's a tough job, feeding this group of hardworking men, but somebody's got to do it.
