While drone cameras cruised above the turfgrass field of Superbowl LVIII on Feb. 11, offering a bird’s eye view of the bright green gridiron, Stockbridge School of Agriculture alum Nick Pappas was one of the few to have a worm’s eye view of what it takes to host the largest sporting event in the nation.

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Pappas, who earned two degrees from Stockbridge (Turfgrass Management AS ’10; Plant & Soil Sciences ’12), is the newest Field Director for the National Football League (NFL). Pappas was the MVP for both teams in the 31 days leading up to kickoff, in charge of building and delivering the one-time-use special turfgrass field that made the whole event possible.

The all-new natural grass surface, prepared and installed on a retractable tray outside the stadium, was thoroughly tested before being mechanically rolled into Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, for the February 11 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

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