ABOVE The Victory Game Clocks eDown marker got its debut last fall at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Photo courtesy of Mike Clardy/Auburn University
Football fans everywhere recognize Alabama’s leadership in college football, but they might not realize that a new stadium innovation as bright as the LED lights it features hails from this state.
Hutch Hammond, vice president of operations at Victory Game Clocks of Roanoke, Alabama, had the idea of improving flip-number down markers by using super-bright, 15-inch LED lights to indicate the down on the field marker. He sought help from Randy Bartlett, professor of industrial design at Auburn University’s School of Industrial and Graphic Design. As the idea developed and got closer to market, Auburn’s Technical Assistance Center in the school’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business provided more assistance.
The eDown marker, as it’s now called, was used this fall on football Saturdays at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It weighs in at less than 9 pounds, is weatherproof and gives six hours of operation on a single charge. There’s even a sponsor space, allowing for advertising to offset the cost of the purchase.
“It’s one of those ideas that is so good you wonder why it hadn’t been done before. It just makes sense, ” Bartlett told Auburn’s online news service. More information about eDown is available on the Victory Game Clocks website at www.VictoryGameClocks.com.
Text by Dave Helms
