PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — He's known as the "Sultan of Sod," and for good reason. Groundskeeper George Toma has worked on all 53 Super Bowl fields.
At 91 years old, Toma doesn’t miss a step when it comes to talking about sod.
"Grass grows by inches, but it’s killed by feet," said Toma.
On Thursday, Toma spent time at the Sports Turf Managers Association conference at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. In other words, the Super Bowl for sod.
"I tell it like it is. I mean, if you have bad grass, I’m going to tell you, you have bad grass," said Toma.
That’s because in the sports world, Toma said a good set of sod can be a game winning factor.
"Players can get hurt on bad grass," said Toma. "It could be too hard, pulling muscles, things like that."
Toma isn't shy about his message or method.
"You got to keep the insects away from it, you got to fertilize it," said Toma.
At 91, Toma has no plans to slow down. As for Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Toma is giving the grass a green thumbs up.
"Florida has a lot of good grass," said Toma.
You can watch Super Bowl LIV on WFLX FOX 29 on Sunday, Feb. 2.
