Ironman Insider: Gary Compton - Part 1, Game Day
Tom Goodhines
Sunday April 23, 2000
Not familiar with Gary Compton? Well, then you must be new to the Arena Football League. Compton is one of the most prolific two-way players in league history and he has the numbers to back it up.
Compton owns many career and single season records for the Mustangs. In 1998, Gary pulled in 101 receptions for 1,484 yards and 33 touchdowns. In 1999, he tallied 87 snares for 1,242 yards, 18 receiving TDs and 2 kickoff return scores. The eight-year AFL veteran, who has been an All-League performer and a perennial Ironman of the Year Award candidate, has some unique game day preparations that have stuck with him for years.
And judging by his results – they work.
After the alarm goes off, Gary rolls out of bed to get ready for the day. He gets up, takes a shower, and eats breakfast. What is one of the first things on Gary’s agenda? First stop – going to a shopping mall to buy a pair of socks for tonight’s game.
Socks?
“People laugh at me all the time,” Compton said. “They say, ‘You go to the mall just to buy socks?’ I usually go out at the same time [around 11:30 a.m.] before every game.”
It has become part of Gary’s game day ritual.
“I can’t remember where I was [when it started], but I needed some socks before one of my games and I bought a pair. I had a great game that night, so I did the same the next week.” Compton had another solid performance that next game and he has done the same shopping trip ever since.
The next stop is to grab something to eat. “When it is a home game – it’s Boston Market,” Compton said of his choice for a lunch location. “When I am on the road, it’s any place that has chicken.”
Following lunch, Gary comes home and waits – usually relaxing in front of the television. As game time approaches, Gary makes sure that he is at the arena by 4 p.m. “I usually do everything at the same time,” Compton said. “As you can probably tell, I like to have a routine.”
Gary makes sure that he goes to the trainer’s room and gets “taped up” at 4:30 p.m. A trip back to the locker room is next and that is when Compton starts a series of rituals to assemble his gear. “I get my stuff ready – line up my gloves, check my equipment,” Gary said. “I then put things on in stages.”
First thing to go on is – the socks.
Compton puts on his new socks, shorts and his t-shirt. He then goes out to the field for his first series of stretches – usually in the far endzone away from the locker room. At this time he usually talks with other players or whoever is out on the playing field.
Once he goes through his first series of stretches, it’s back to the locker room. This time his game pants and shoes go on and he sits and waits. “I try to relax and hang out,” Compton said. “I talk to my teammates and just try to get mentally prepared for the game.”
After a while Compton returns to the field for more stretching – again in the far endzone – and he then takes two laps around the field. By this time, there is about five minutes left before the team stretches. Compton retreats to the locker room for the final preparations – his shoulder pads and his No. 2 jersey. He is ready to go!
This year especially, Compton has been “antsy” to get things started. “With the labor problems and with us getting the bye in the first week, we’ve been restless,” Compton said. “You get sick of hitting your own teammates – you want to get going for real.”
Compton said that this year’s Mustangs are a younger group, but it has a nice mix of youth along with some quality veteran leadership. He is also enthusiastic about this year’s team and he believes that it will be an exciting year. “This is the best group of receivers in the league,” Compton said. “Many people point to San Jose with [Barry] Wagner, [Steve] Papin, and Baker, but I would put the group we have here up against any other – without hesitation.”
Unfortunately for the Mustangs, newly acquired 1999 Ironman of the Year candidate Alvin Ashley suffered a season-ending Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear in Thursday’s loss to Grand Rapids. But the Mustangs current stable of receivers is still pretty potent. Compton, Herb Duncan, Lamart Cooper, Sean Riley, Paul Guidry, and rookie Kevin Huntley will look to get the Mustangs off to a strong start, which will be important in the tough Central Division.
“We started at home against Grand Rapids [a 52-47 loss], then at Houston, and then at Grand Rapids,” Compton said. “So right at the start of the season, we should know where we stand in our division. We can’t get off to a slow start like last year. There will be a lot of catching up to do if we stumble early. We’ll need to start off on the right foot.”
The Mustangs should be fine – as long as they stop for a new pair of socks first!
Part II of Ironman Insider: Gary Compton will continue next week with a look at Compton’s career path and how he has become one of the best in the business.
Tom Goodhines was a writer for ArenaFan Online during the 2000 season.
