on his own

dallas cowboys head groundskeeper is a one-man show

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most storied and successful franchises in the history of the National Football League. They also boast some of the league’s most colorful individuals, from their owner to the coach, and throw in a wide receiver. However, few people know that since 2002 the Cowboys have also had a Lone Ranger — head groundskeeper Chris Morrow.

Adjacent to a large indoor facility are 4 acres of turf that accommodate two practice football fields. Morrow, who is a one-man show, is responsible for keeping them up to NFL standards year-round. He is also in charge of the indoor field.

“The Cowboys want the fields as pristine as possible,” he says. “My expectations are very high. I try to achieve game conditions — dense turf that will play well without big divots or explosions. I want a nice root mass so players have a good cushion when they fall, and something stable so they can push off. Safety is paramount. I don’t want field conditions to be blamed for an injury.”

To achieve those conditions, Morrow focuses on cultural practices to establish a good root mass.

“Whenever soil temperatures start to rise and make our 419 Bermuda grass active,” he says, “I aerify and verticut. We did five aerifications last year. I use a shallow tine to a depth of 6 inches and always pull cores. Twice a year a contractor deep tines to 8 to 10 inches. I verticut myself three or four times a year. And, I topdress after every cultural practice, which is every 10 days to two weeks, depending on how quickly the surface heals after aerification.”

Weather is always a challenge. Texas is in the midst of a two-year drought, with the average annual rainfall 24 inches under normal. Then there are water restrictions.

“Last summer we had 18 days with temperatures over 100 degrees with strong winds,” Morrow says. ”Evapotranspiration is a very serious issue. Some of the rainfall is gone before it hits the ground, and the rest evaporates quickly. We have an irrigation system, but I’m doing more hand watering because it’s not as restricted.”

Morrow takes soil samples every month, snaking across the field to get a good representation.

“It’s incredible that the soil changes so often in a relatively confined area,” he says. “My first year here I saw things I had never seen before, and it was all soil related. I decided to step up the sampling process to learn how things worked on the fields.”

As a result, Morrow also uses a DryJect process two or three times a year to get new sand deeper into the soil profile.

“The profile is basically amended, not 100 percent sand,” he explains. “It’s almost like a black gumbo that holds the nutrients and doesn’t let them go. That’s also why I pull cores every time I aerify. The goal is to get the bad stuff out and put in good stuff. When I got here, the drainage was not very good. With every aerification, I’m replacing that black gumbo with good sand and getting a better perk rate. The process takes a couple of years to show results; you have to have patience. Unlike what many people think, roots, stolens and rhizomes don’t grow through dirt and sand; they grow through pore space. I have to open up the surface to get the mat the way I want so players can push off without turf coming up.”

Morrow prefers foliar fertilizer applications because of the tricky soil.

“If I used a granular application, the nutrients would get locked up in the soil and the plant wouldn’t be able to use it,” he says.

Morrow offers some sage advice.

“Always pay attention to your fields because in some way they will talk to you,” he says. “Some areas respond differently than others and I have to figure out why that’s happening. There are no tricks of the trade; success boils down to good cultural practices and hard work.”

SLF-1880 delivers a uniform, manicured cut

Morrow’s equipment list includes a Jacobsen super-light SLF-1880™ mower, a Cushman® Spraytek™ and a Cushman® utility vehicle. He also has an E-Z-Go® golf car and a tractor. He has been using the SLF-1880 since 2003.

“When I got here, the Cowboys had a deal with another manufacturer for a triplex mower,” he says. “I thought about a larger mower, but went with the SLF-1880 because it is lighter.”

The height-of-cut on the fields is 5/16 inch.

“With 11-blade reels and Turf Groomers®, we get a very uniform, manicured cut,” Morrow says. “Jacobsen consultant Dr. Milt Engelke told me the key to maintaining healthy Bermuda grass is grooming every two weeks. I cut every day except Sunday.”

The head groundskeeper also likes the SLF-1880 because it leaves a light footprint without tracking.

“To me, quality-of-cut is that extra something special,” he says. “Even though players and coaches don’t say anything, I know they notice. The right equipment makes a big difference. I need the SLF-1880 to do my job right. A quality mower, reels and bedknives are critical to getting a nice, clean scissor cut.”

Schedule conflicts are inevitable

One of the big challenges for any sports turf manager is working around practice schedules to maintain the fields. Fortunately, Morrow has a good relationship with coach Bill Parcells.

“Whenever Coach Parcells comes out for practice, he always ribs me about something,” he says. “He’s very detail oriented. We had a lot of rain at our first mini-camp and he wanted to go outside and practice. He wanted to make sure the fields were playable, but wouldn’t get destroyed in the process. He looks out for me, too. He doesn’t want to put more of a burden on me by tearing things up for no good reason. He realizes the ramifications. He is very meticulous in everything he does and wants the best from everyone, including me.”

However, situations that tear up the turf are unavoidable.

“Sometimes the coaches don’t move around and rotate as well as I’d like,” Morrow says. “When there are 12 to 14 guys in a 20-foot area pushing and shoving, cleats do a lot of damage. When they’re finished, the first thing I do is mow to get rid of the dead clippings. I lightly topdress for some structure, hit the turf with a little fertilizer and fill the big divots with sand. I don’t overseed with ryegrass until late October. I do it for color, and to protect the Bermuda grass that’s going dormant.”

To succeed, groundskeepers must have a ‘want-to’ attitude

In 1996, in his third semester at North Carolina State’s turfgrass management school, Morrow interviewed with the head groundskeeper of the Carolina Panthers and was offered a position. He started on the landscape crew and moved to the field crew, where he helped maintain the practice fields and occasionally the game field.

“I learned how important it is to be observant,” he says. “I may have been doing something tedious like cleaning the sprayer, but it paid off later in understanding equipment. Also, I made sure to pay attention to what my boss was doing. He’s been at the job much longer, and I watched what he did and how he did it. With the Panthers, I learned the importance of cultural practices, especially aerification and topdressing. Bermuda grass loves to be beaten up and babied. Be aggressive, then gentle, and tear it up again. The more you do, the better and tighter the turf will heal for a much smoother playing surface.”

Morrow knew the Cowboys’ chaplain since 1988, who called five years ago to say the team was looking for a head groundskeeper.

“I’d like to think I was the best candidate for this job,” Morrow says. “To succeed, you have to be ambitious. During a busy week, I can be here 70 to 80 hours. In an off week, it can be 60 hours. I call it ‘want-to.’ You have to have the desire from within yourself. I want to give the Cowboys the best product I can. I like doing something I enjoy; I’m ready to go every morning. There are new challenges every day.”