Twenty-five years ago, alongside acting legends Kathy Bates and Henry Winkler, Adam Sandler starred in the cult classic movie, “The Waterboy.”
Sandler portrayed Bobby Boucher, a lovable waterboy turned star linebacker. Boucher illustrated the importance of a waterboy to a football team, warming our hearts along the way.
While this may sound like a movie review, it does show some of the responsibilities one has to take on in such a role. Here is a deep dive into NFL waterboys, including whether they get paid — and if they do, how much.
Do Waterboys in the NFL Get Paid?
During the NFL season, the waterboy is a critical full-time position, working 40 hours a week. Teams may have multiple waterboys to handle practices and games as well.
Most NFL waterboys make between $50,000 and $60,000 per year. However, some don’t get paid and instead receive internships for high school or college.
While their in-season salary is pretty good, waterboys tend to be paid less during the offseason since there are no practices or games. However, those who remain on for the offseason are tasked with helping players train at the team facility.
Additionally, waterboys don’t get paid for the preseason, and their salaries fluctuate depending on the location and market of the team they work for.
Do Waterboys Sign a Contract With the NFL?
Waterboy is a salary-paid position, so workers are required to sign a contract outlining their duties and job responsibilities. They must also sign a non-compete agreement to avoid jumping from team to team.
In addition to the salary, there are several perks to being an NFL waterboy. The league has a benefits package, including health insurance, mental health, and dental.
Waterboys are eligible for paid leave, including 16 weeks of paid parental leave and two weeks of paid family leave.
The perks don’t end there, either. Waterboys can also receive free NFL tickets and discounts on NFL merchandise, and they get 12 paid holidays per year.
What Do Waterboys Do?
While they are known as waterboys, the role is not gender-specific. As an entry-level position, waterboys are vital members of an NFL team’s training staff. Actually, many trainers began their NFL careers as waterboys.
Jonah Williams aka the Water Boy🤣 pic.twitter.com/5JYeki8skO
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) August 11, 2023
As the name suggests, waterboys are responsible for filling water bottles and keeping players hydrated. They’re also responsible for providing players with towels.
After every game and practice, waterboys are required to store the water bottles and towels once they have been cleaned.
Can Anyone Become a Waterboy?
Obviously, here’s the biggest question that will arise from all of this: Can you, or anyone for that matter, be an NFL waterboy?
Most NFL waterboys have an extensive background in sports medicine and health science. Additionally, many teams require that they possess knowledge of the NFL’s rules and regulations.
In many cases, college football trainers transition into NFL waterboys. The league accepts applicants through the official NFL website through its career section.
Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl Preview
Based on PFN’s win probability model, which ran 10,000 simulations via the PFN Playoff Predictor, the Eagles have a 52.8% chance of defeating the Chiefs.
The Chiefs are aiming to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls. Kansas City has won three of the last five Super Bowls and will be the first NFL team to play in five Super Bowls over a six-season span.
This is Philadelphia’s third Super Bowl appearance in the last eight seasons. The Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII and lost to the Chiefs two seasons ago in Super Bowl LVII.
Kansas City Chiefs Trends and Insights
- The Chiefs have 17 straight one-score wins (12-0 this season, their last three playoff games last year, and their last two regular season games). Twelve one-score wins is the most in a single season all-time, tied with the 2022 Vikings, 2019 Seahawks, and 2015 Broncos.
- Patrick Mahomes passed Joe Montana for the second-most playoff wins by a starting quarterback (17) and John Elway for the second-most playoff game-winning drives by a quarterback (seven).
- From 2019-24, the Chiefs have made six Super Bowl appearances, are chasing a fourth title, and have won 78% of their regular season games. For reference, the Splash Brother Golden State Warriors (2015-19, 2022) made six NBA Finals appearances with four titles and won 76.2% of their regular season games.
- The Chiefs have averaged over 2.5 points per offensive drive in four straight games when playing their regulars – that’s a good formula, as NFL teams have won 78.9% of their games this season when clearing 2.50 PPD.
- During his career, Mahomes has averaged 3.9 carries for 20 yards and 0.13 touchdowns on the ground during the regular season. In the postseason, those rates elevated to 5.4 attempts, 29.1 yards, and 0.35 touchdowns per game.
Philadelphia Eagles Trends and Insights
- The Eagles peaked early last season and scored 155 points over a five-game win streak (Weeks 7-12). Over their past five games, they’ve scored 166 points.
- Jalen Hurts ran for three scores in his prior Super Bowl experience, joining Terrell Davis as the only player to do that in The Big Game. With his three rushing scores on Sunday, Hurts joined LeGarrette Blount as the only players in NFL history with multiple playoff games in which they ran for three-plus touchdowns.
- Philadelphia has forced 19 turnovers in their past six games, a run that includes four games with three-plus.
- The Eagles became the sixth team to have multiple players rush for multiple scores in a playoff game, the first since Rex Burkhead and Sony Michel did it for the 2018 Patriots.
- Since 2022, the Eagles are 18-8 ATS (69.2%) when facing a team that enters play with at least as many wins as losses (second best, trailing only the 20-6-1 Lions).
- Hurts will become the eighth quarterback to start multiple Super Bowls within his first eight seasons. Of the previous seven, only Elway failed to secure a ring within his first five seasons—though Elway would famously cap off his career with Super Bowl victories in his final two seasons.
