LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Game day at Texas Tech is without a doubt one of the most unique experiences in the country.
Traditions like the Masked Rider, Matador Song and the Goin’ Band cannot be seen anywhere else, but there is one tradition that often goes unnoticed.
Since the early 2000s, the Texas Rangers have acted as security for players and coaches.
“It originally started with the University of Texas,” Lieutenant Scott Stevenson said. “We had a Ranger that did security for Mac Brown and then we started here with Mike Leach.”
Now, Texas Tech is the only university in the state with the Rangers on the sideline.
“It’s just a special thing for us to do for the University and for the Rangers in general,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson has been helping since the beginning. He worked traffic when Mike Leach was the head football coach.
Now, he is always close by whoever is at the helm for the Red Raiders.
“I started doing the head security job with Kliff Kingsbury,” Stevenson said. “So, I’ve traveled with the team since Kliff Kingsbury and Matt Wells and now Coach McGuire.
Stevenson says the team has not run into to much trouble, but there is one situation he deals with often.
“It’s pretty crazy when you have a bunch of fans running across the field to celebrate,” Stevenson said. “Me and another Ranger, we always have the coach, and we have two Rangers that do the visiting coach as well. Just to keep him safe also, but like I tell all the coaches, we always got their back so they don’t have to worry about anything. We’ll take care of it for them.”
The Rangers are not just providing protection, they are looking to create relationships with players that may want to do the same in the future.
“You see these young men and we’ve recruited some of them to be troopers and have some aspirations to be Rangers,” Stevenson said. “So you kinda interject yourself into some of these kids lives to see what they’re interested in.”
Even if it isn’t a white out at the Jones, fans can expect to see at least two white shirts on the sidelines every Saturday.
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