University of Wisconsin-Stout students provided security at Super Bowl 52 held Feb. 4 in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
They even had a chance to spend the last two minutes of the nail-biting end of the game on the field as fans waited to the last play to see the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the New England Patriots.
Patrick Lytle, a junior majoring in real estate and property management; Garrett Grabowsky, a senior computer engineering major; Anthony Liotta, a senior in packaging; William Hibbard, a senior technology education major; Ryan VandenBoomen, a junior applied mathematics and computer science major; and Sam Welter, a senior in computer engineering, all were hired to work security through O’Brien Services in Holmen.
They found out about the opportunity three days before the deadline in mid-December. They were able to get the necessary fingerprints at the Menomonie Police Department, which helped them make the deadline. The training included seven hours of online instruction and five hours of in-person education in Onalaska.
Part of their job was running a metal detector for attendees entering the stadium. They also provided security throughout the Super Bowl weekend.
“Everyone was very, very excited and high energy,” said Lytle, 20, whose hometown is Madison. “It’s an insane experience.”
“You could just feel the energy, especially when the confetti was shooting down,” said Liotta, 21, of Appleton. “It was pretty awe-inspiring.”
There were Vikings and Packers fans amongst the crowd, Lytle said. “A lot of the Vikings fans seemed to be rooting for Philadelphia,” Lytle said.
The metal detectors were set to the highest level and would easily go off for many items, including the filters on cigarettes, Lytle said.
“I think by the time I was done there were seven or eight cartons of cigarettes that had to be thrown out because they couldn’t take them into the stadium,” Lytle said.
Fans were terrific, understanding the need for security with the crowd attending the Super Bowl.
“All of them were very friendly and understanding that we had a job to do,” said Grabowsky, whose hometown is Antigo. “I didn’t have a problem with anybody. It was nice hearing people say thank you. There were a lot of people appreciative of the safety we were giving them.”
Lytle said he met some of the Philadelphia Eagles’ players families and fans and found them sincere, just like Packers fans.
As a security team member, each of them received a red winter coat with the Super Bowl emblem on it, security credentials and a stocking cap, Lytle said. They were paid security workers.
Grabowsky, 22, manager at Kahootz tavern in Menomonie, worked security two years ago at two Vikings games. He used to be a bouncer, and Lytle works as a bouncer at the Abbey Pub and Grub in Menomonie. They enjoy security work and talking with people.
The group also worked security at the VIP party at the Minneapolis Convention Center Feb. 3 and at the Super Bowl Tailgate Party Feb. 4.
They met a few famous people. Liotta met Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots. VandenBoomen met former Vice President Joe Biden.
Lytle said the final two minutes of the game were phenomenal, as they made sure no one entered the field before the game finished.
“It’s like you are the coolest invisible man,” Lytle said. “I know nobody sees me because they are watching the game, but it was the coolest thing I have ever done in my life.”
One very important aspect of working security is to realize they are also performing customer service. Fans paid upward of $12,000 to go to the VIP party and $6,000 for Super Bowl tickets, Lytle said.
Lytle, Grabowsky and Liotta agreed they would work security at a Super Bowl game again. They have been invited back to the one in Atlanta in 2019 and Miami in 2020.
“I would definitely do it again,” Lytle said, noting it is a resume builder. “If I wanted, I could go into security and say I worked three Super Bowls.”
###
Photos
UW-Stout students, left to right, Anthony Liotta, Patrick Lytle and Garrett Grabowsky worked security at the Super Bowl Feb. 4 in Minneapolis, meeting fans and creating lifetime memories.
