Equipment trailer donated by Great Dane
STATESBORO, Ga. - There's the saying "You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been."
If you're part of Eagle Nation, you know Georgia Southern football came from humble beginnings, just a short time ago. Erk Russell surprised the nation in 1981 when he left his position as University of Georgia defensive coordinator for the head coaching position at Georgia Southern University to restart its dormant football program.
However, a shoestring budget didn't leave room for much. For starters, the football team didn't even have a football and it's no secret that the players used second-hand equipment. To transport the team to and from games, the Bulloch County school system sold the Georgia Southern Athletic Department two yellow school buses - for $1 each.
Erk Russell once said, "We don't have the best of everything, so we make the best of everything we have." The low budget did not impede on Russell's ability to lead the Eagles to three NCAA's Division I-A National Championships by 1989. Hard work pays off.
For those who are not familiar with the history and traditions of Georgia Southern football, they soon will be. While the team no longer plays in donated gear, it has moved to NCAA's Division I FBS, an upper deck was added to Allen E. Paulson Stadium, the players still ride yellow school buses to home games, and hitting the road this week, on its way to Morgantown, West Virginia, is a new 53-foot trailer loaded down with football equipment.
The trailer, which was a generous donation from Great Dane Trailers, features a yellow school bus. The design pays homage to Eagle traditions, gives a glimpse into the history of the football program, and is juxtaposed with players diving forward.
"Great Dane feels a strong bond with Georgia Southern University, not only because of our location in the Statesboro community, but also because of our large number of Georgia Southern graduates, said Kevin Black, Statesboro Plant Manager. "These graduates include engineers, marketing professionals, sales team members, supervisors, HR managers, and purchasing representatives among others. Georgia Southern is represented from the shop floor to the VP level of Great Dane, not to mention the large number of employees whose children are current Georgia Southern students. At the Statesboro plant, our journey is parallel to that of the Georgia Southern football program as we continue to build and strengthen our dominance at new levels.
"It is for that reason that Great Dane, with the help of a few of our top vendors and the hard work of our employees, is honored to present Georgia Southern with this 53-foot trailer to help with the transfer of equipment to their football games. The graphic design displayed on the trailer says a lot about the tradition that Georgia Southern represents, and it is truly representative of the long traditions of both Georgia Southern and Great Dane. It also represents the reality that it takes dedicated team members to achieve our shared goal of reaching the pinnacle of excellence.".
Great Dane equipped the trailer with upgrades such as wall-to-wall diamondback flooring and a hydraulic liftgate in addition to facilitating contributions by other companies.
TKO Graphix printed and installed the graphic wrap, Grote Industries donated an upgraded interior and exterior lighting system, Hendrickson International gave the trailer a new air-ride suspension, Accuride supplied new wheels, Bridgestone provided new tires, Conmet furnished new hub and drum assemblies and Transport Equipment Company installed the liftgate.
The trailer will be transported by an International ProStar donated by Robert's Truck Center out of Savannah, Georgia.
The graphic wrap was designed by Athletic Foundation's Stephanie Arends Neal using photographs taken by Frank Fortune of Statesboro.
"Hours of hard work was poured into this project by a team of individuals from both Great Dane, their network and the Athletic Foundation," said athletic director Tom Kleinlein. "It's a perfect example of how the university and community can work together for a shared goal. The outcome of this shared goal is a top-of-the-line equipment trailer that doubles as a billboard showcasing Great Dane and Georgia Southern."
One thing is for sure - tradition lives here.
About Great Dane
Great Dane, a manufacturer of dry van, refrigerated and platform trailers, has long been regarded as the industry leader in technology, innovation and quality. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Ill., and has additional corporate offices in Savannah, Ga., with manufacturing plants and a parts distribution center strategically located throughout the United States. Great Dane's network of company-owned branches and full-line independent dealers and parts-only independent dealers offer distribution points for both trailers and aftermarket parts across North and South America. Great Dane can be accessed online at GreatDaneTrailers.com.
