Dennis Murphy is a living Chillicothe Cavalier football legend

CHILLICOTHE - It's Friday night and Chillicothe's football program has a home game scheduled at 7 p.m. Dennis Murphy, probably wearing one of his signature pink t-shirts, walks into his office around noon that day.

The longtime equipment manager first checks each football's air pressure, moseys his way through the Cavaliers' locker room and attends to each helmet, calibrating what needs to be fixed on each, and then turns his attention to Herrnstein Field; setting up yard markers, goal posts, end zone pylons, etc.

Next, he makes sure the officials have water in their dressing room, cleans out the visitor's locker room, greets the visiting team, directs the bus driver where to park after a long voyage and hands the visiting coaches keys to that night's golf cart.

After, if the play clocks or coaches' headphones aren't working properly, he fixes that, too. And if the opportunity presents itself, he makes sure he gets something to eat along the way.

Oh yeah, when the varsity team isn't playing, Murphy also assists the junior varsity, middle school, and peewee football programs.

He doesn't get paid enough. But you won't hear him complain.

"I just love football. I started out as an usher then I assisted John Herrnstein, Napoleon Cross, and Jeff Metzler and ended up as the equipment manager," Murphy said. "There have been multiple head coaches, the first being John Sines. I tell each every year, 'I'm willing to come back if you want me. If you don't, my feelings won't be hurt.'"

Murphy retired from the VA after 38 years, after spending six years in the United States Marine Corps. He's now working on 20 years as the Cavaliers' equipment manager.

"I take everything as the equipment belongs to me. You've got to or it'll get torn up really easily," Murphy explained. "I'll have a kid throw his helmet on the ground and the first time, I'll pick it up and say something to him. The second time? It's mine. I don't let anybody abuse anything."

After the season ends, any equipment Chillicothe has used, Murphy sends it off to get reconditioned. He then makes a list of what the Cavaliers will need for the next season, OK's it with coach Ron Hinton and Athletic Director Mike Barren, and the cycle commences again the following fall.

"One of the reasons (defensive coordinator Jeff Arndt) and I came here was Dennis Murphy," Hinton said. "Before, when we were at other schools, we had to do everything from chin strap snaps to coaching. When we got here, he would tell us those things were his job. He's an invaluable asset that people won't appreciate until he's gone."

Hinton and Arndt haven't touched a chin strap in, Hinton says, the last seven years.

And, when you get one Murphy, as the grandfather of four puts it, "You get them all."

"I couldn't do any of this without my wife (Kathy)," he said, smiling. "She takes tickets here, works the pass gate for basketball, and really lets me be here. She does that, my son helps and my daughter used to take tickets and everything else under the sun. It's a family thing and we always make time for each other."

When he's not spending time with his family around town, he's doing so on Ohio University's campus, where he attends every home football game and occasionally caters to local businesses. But come football time, he's in his seats.

In 20 years, there are two high school games that standout, although Murphy admits he's usually not watching the action.

"Our last home game with Upper Arlington (in 2003), we just barely got beat (37-35), and this past year against Clinton-Massie (14-13), we went for two and came up a little short," he recalled. "But honestly, I don't pay much attention to the game. I'm watching for chin straps to come loose, helmets to come off, opportunities to help the trainer and other things. I make it a point to have everything to where our kids are as safe as possible."

Going forward, as long as his health holds up, Murphy has no plans to step away.

"I'll be around as long as they want me."

If you need Dennis Murphy, you know where to find him.