Aug. 12, 2013
Training Camp Central
Lobo Football Season Tickets on Sale
By Greg Archuleta
UNM Assistant Director of Communications
RUIDOSO – Bob Waller loves the University of New Mexico.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training at UNM in 2001, then received his master’s degree in sports administration from UNM in 2004.
Waller, originally from Los Angeles, met his wife, Addie, at UNM. His first daughter, Harlee, was born in Albuquerque while he was associate athletics trainer at UNM from 2003-09.
When UNM head trainer Dave Binder retired earlier this summer, Waller was entering his fifth year as the head athletics trainer at the University of Wyoming.
Waller had built the Cowboys training department from scratch. The program was his baby.
But when the opening surfaced at UNM, Waller felt compelled to try to return. He succeeded, coming back to the Lobo program as head athletics trainer in July.
“It’s a great feeling to be back,” Waller said. “This is where I started my career in this profession. I was fortunate enough that Dave Binder gave me my start. It’s always been a special place to me. And I’ll try to keep that legacy going.”
In Waller, UNM is getting a trainer that knows the school, has experience running a department and has experience specifically with football – Waller spent four summers from 2002-05 working for NFL Europe.
He was head trainer of the Barcelona Dragons in 2003, head trainer of the Scottish Claymores in 2004 and head trainer of the Hamburg Sea Dogs in 2005 – the league’s final year of existence.
“We have a new head trainer in Bob Waller, and I couldn’t be more pleased,” coach Bob Davie said. “We went through an extensive screening process. The fact that Bob was here for a significant amount of time and then went to Wyoming for significant period of time gives him a great perspective on what this place is and what we can do better. We’re fortunate to have him back.”
The Lobos wasted no time putting Waller to use in bringing him to Ruidoso for training camp. Waller says the experience reminds him of his days in NFL Europe because he and his staff have been able to work almost round the clock with the team.
It’s very, very similar to the experience in Ruidoso in that we’re always around each other,” he said. “I learned to incorporate the feel here on how to bond with the players, with the coaches, with the rest of my staff and the teaching. And that’s the best thing about it, we so close, we’re always here.”
And seemingly constantly on the go.
“Two-a-days are always fun, always crazy,” Waller said. “In a typical normal day, we’re in the training room at 6 in the morning. We’re setting up. We have treatment starting 6:45, 7 a.m., getting the guys ready before practice and before meetings. When they’re in meetings, we set up and go to practice. After practice breakdown, we do post-practice treatments through lunchtime, catching up on paperwork.
“After that, we do plan out the following day; we’ve got to stay a step ahead. Then it’s another round of treatments before the evening meetings. We’re cleaning up training room, coolers, working on hydration plans for the players and then go to dinner. And before dinner guys, come back for a fourth round of treatments before meetings. After meeting, guys come back for snack, and then it’s a fifth round of treatments.
“We get to see these guys five times a day. It’s crazy but fun; it’s a great atmosphere. We’re trying to provide guys with good care.”
It’s a job Waller knows well and loves. And now it’s a place in which Waller has a special bond.
“Wyoming gave me the opportunity to be director of sports medicine out there, and I can’t thank them enough for that opportunity,” he said. “It was a blessing. There are some wonderful people up there — from the administration to my staff to the football staff to the rest of the coaching staffs. It made it a hard decision to leave because they’re such great people.
“But UNM is a place where I got two degrees. I met my wife here, I started my family here. This is my home away from home.”
Monday Practice Notes: For the Lobo defense, the hero of the day was safety Ricky Bennett, whose interception in the end zone at the close of practice had the UNM offense down on the ground doing 25 push ups while the defense got to stand around and watch. The situation was set up by Coach Bob Davie where the offense had the ball inside the red zone looking to punch the ball into the end zone. The obvious challenge for the defense was to stop that drive. Bennett did it with his pick.
It was one of the few times the defense got the edge on the Lobo offense which continues to look good on the fields of Ruidoso. “The offense continues to make strides and I saw a lot of positive things in the passing game,” said Davie.
The Lobos again worked heavily on passing drills and timing routes, but also put in some time on the read-option. The Lobos took the day off Sunday and returned to the practice field on Monday.
“You are always concerned after a day you don’t practice,” said Davie. “You always wonder if after a day off if they will come back with a different energy. I think we came out today with good focus. We cut back on practice a bit trying to get more quality work and not as much quantity. It was a good day.”