Clean and sloppy Titans

Titans equipment manager Paul Noska has seen alot in the 26 years in his position. Like most rooms full of men, some of the players are very neat and some are, well slobs.

Vincent Fuller is neat, extremely clean,'' Noska said of the veteran nickelback. "And then you have the other 98 percent of the team — they're messy as hell, leaving stuff all over the floors around them.''

He said the defensive backs are the neatest Titans. The offensive linemen and defensive linemen are, perhaps not surprisingly, the messiest, with veteran center Kevin Mawae being the exception.
The quarterbacks are usually messy, too, but by all accounts running back LenDale White and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth might be the biggest slobs of all.

Noska wouldn't divulge just what kinds of things he finds on the floor etc but one can imagine it's not dust bunnies. Noska also said that they also try to clean out every locker once a month. Occasionally a phone number might accidentally get tossed out and the complaining begins, but dealing with an attitude from time to time is one of the hazards of the job.

One of the hardest parts of his job is assigning lockers. He determines locker assignments; a big deal considering there are almost 70 players including the active roster, practice squad and injured reserve.
The assignment is the simple part, Noska said. When a new player arrives he's usually assigned a locker close to others at his position. Sometimes there's no room, however, so Noska and the player have to adjust. Occasionally a player will complain about his spot and ask to be moved.
"But honestly,'' Noska said, "most of them are just happy to have a locker spot.''

The most ideal locations — and the ones guys lobby for — are those closest to an exit, whether it's to the practice field or the meeting room. The lucky ones have a vacant locker next door so they can spread out.