Equipment manager Paeton Hayes has always been a Michigan State fan, though not necessarily by choice.
Both of her parents attended MSU. They always wished at least one of their three children would also carry the green and white.
So, yes, Hayes is certainly part of a football family. And it was no surprise that in the fall of 2020, as a sophomore, Hayes was parked in front of the T.V. in her apartment, watching the Spartans navigate through Mel Tucker’s first season as head coach.
But then she noticed something on the T.V.
It wasn’t Michigan State’s new head coach or the eerie, empty bleachers because of COVID-19. Something that despite all the different football games she’s watched or witnessed, she had never noticed before: an equipment manager.
And from that moment, Hayes knew what she wanted to do.
One year later, she was on the sideline at Spartan Stadium on a humid, yet cool Saturday afternoon. Former MSU running back Kenneth Walker III had just rumbled to his fifth touchdown of the day to give the Spartans the lead over Michigan.
Hayes turned and locked eyes with then-redshirt senior running back Elijah Collins just a few feet apart from each other. No words were said, but they both pointed at each other, jaws dropped, thinking the same exact thing.
Did that really just happen?
“Those are moments that stick with people for the rest of their lives,” Collins said. “It's no telling how it made her feel. But I know that, in that moment, we both felt the same thing.”
Shortly after the game, Hayes was in the locker room with the players — she’s typically not allowed while the players change out of their uniforms. Walker, who just terrorized Michigan for 197 rushing yards and five touchdowns, gave Hayes a big hug.
“Thank you for everything you do,” Walker said to Hayes. “You mean a lot to me. I hope you know that.”
“You’re gonna make me cry,” Hayes replied. “This is like the greatest day ever.”
She’s faster than you think
Growing up in South Haven, Hayes was all about sports. With swimming, basketball, and softball being her three favorites, she’s always been super competitive, even when it came to middle school gym class.
One of Hayes’ high school friends was a former equipment manager for the baseball team, so she knew who to talk to first. He told her to reach out to head football equipment manager Andrew Kolpacki and before she knew it, Hayes was invited to try out in the spring of 2021.
“I already knew there's going to be maybe some (stigma) from the guys that are already there, maybe some of the coaches, maybe some of the players,” Hayes said. “I kind of just more mentally prepared myself like, ‘Hey, you're gonna probably hear some things that don’t sit right with you, but some of these coaches might be old school when women aren’t really involved in sports.’”
Hayes’ passion for the profession was one of the characteristics that stood out to Kolpacki during tryouts. So did her speed, even though Hayes isn’t impressed with her own quickness.
All of the equipment managers are assigned different position groups, and of course, the running backs were the position group Hayes landed. Not only was she having to keep up with some of the fastest players on the roster, she had to be up-to-speed with the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Doak Walker Award winner.
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“In order for the players to practice fast, we have to be moving a step faster and have everything set up in order for them to have their drills ready to go and everything,” Kolpacki said. “She was hanging right in there.”
‘There’s no job too big or no job too small’
With about 16 student equipment managers, not all of them are able to travel for away games.
Following Michigan State’s triumphant upset over Miami, the team’s equipment was immediately flown back to East Lansing and needed to be unloaded. Hayes and the other equipment managers were summoned to the practice facility around midnight and were there for hours to make sure all the needed equipment was prepped for MSU’s next practiceHolidays are also no excuse either, especially when it comes to Thanksgiving or, this past year, Christmas.
When MSU played in the Peach Bowl, the team flew down early for a week of practices, calling for a Christmas Eve flight to Atlanta. That meant the players and staff and the rest of the traveling party had to spend Christmas away from their families.
“The hours can be difficult,” Kolpacki said. “You definitely have to have a love for the profession, whether you're a student, full-time staff member or a student athlete you have to have a love to go through that grind.”
At times, they may clock upwards of 40 hours of unpaid work per week, on top of a fully-loaded school schedule.
It’s not an easy balance for everyone and Kolpacki makes sure in interviews during tryouts that those desiring to join the staff are able to handle the constant demands of the job.
Earlier in the month, Hayes left her apartment one day at 6:45 a.m. and didn’t get back home until 9:45 that night.
When practice isn’t going on, the equipment managers are usually doing something to prepare for whatever is next on the schedule. Laundry must be done after each practice and game, with towels, jerseys and pants all receiving unique care. Gameday uniforms must be spotless, and so should the travel outfits the team wears walking into the stadium.
“We kind of pride ourselves on ‘there’s no job too big or no job too small,’” Kolpacki said.
‘She’s a blessing’
Outside of the brief periods when players are changing in the locker room, Hayes can do just about anything everyone else can do, even if she occasionally gets discounted. It’s typically tasks having to do with strength, but little do they know she’s an avid weightlifter.
“There's some things where there's, 'Oh, she can't do that, like, let me do that for her,' and it hurts a little, but I'm like it comes with the job,” Hayes said. “It's whatever, like, it's fine. The coaches love me.”
When Michigan State has a breakout season as it did in 2021, most, if not all, of the credit gets awarded to the coaches and players, and deservedly so. They are the familiar names and the ones ultimately making plays on the field. Nobody ever thinks of the fluidness of team staffers, such as equipment managers, who have extreme importance to the team.
They are the ones setting up practice drills, making sure every minute of precious practice time is used efficiently. They are the ones checking that every single piece of needed equipment arrives in the right spot on road games.
It’s a lot of work, and the players at least recognize it.
“I mean, she's been a blessing,” Collins said. “Me and Paeton have been friends for a long time, honestly … It’s like, wow, you’re doing something that’s out of the ordinary. You’re really special in that regard. She’s special in that way. We’ve been friends for years and just to see how we both have grown and developed as people with me it’s been amazing.”
Hayes plans to continue in the field after she graduates in the spring, hopefully in the NFL. But as of now, she's got just one thing on her mind:
“Maybe I can wear two rings walking across the stage at graduation,” Hayes said. “That’d be cool.”
This story is part of our 2022 Welcome Week print issue. Read the entire issue here.
