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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Feeding the Masses

A look at what it takes to satisfy a roster full of Buccaneers at meal time during training camp

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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 eggs50 lbs of sausage
50 lbs of bacon200 lbs of hash browns
500 breakfast patties650 pieces of fruit
20 gallons of milk15 lbs of cereal
Lunch
25 gallons of soup40 loaves of bread
60 lbs of cold cuts & cheese30 lbs of tuna fish
40 lbs of salad6 gallons of salad dressing
200 lbs of pasta200 whole chickens
Dinner
250 lbs of prime rib15 gallons of ice cream
200 lbs of shrimp70 lbs of vegetables
90 lbs of potatoes40 lbs of salad
6 gallons of salad dressing15 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.

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