George Toma: Nitty Gritty Dirt Man

This is the story of George Toma, who climbed from his roots in a poor coal-mining town in Depression-era Pennsylvania to the top of his profession as a groundskeeper. Toma learned his craft from the pioneer of the profession, Emil Bossard, before getting his big-league break at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in 1957. Since then, Toma has become the foremost authority in his profession, preparing the field for every Super Bowl that has ever been played. Toma was recently inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2001, and although he has made his reputation in football and baseball, he also has been groundskeeper for the Kansas City Spurs of the old North American Soccer League and has been in charge of Soldier Field in Chicago and soccer's World Cup in Pontiac, Michigan. Through his work, Toma has made friends with baseball and football legends such as Ted Williams and John Madden, yet through it all he has remained the kid from Edwardsville, Pa., who has a passion for sports and a drive to give athletes the best playing surface possible.