Tyrone alum and current athletic equipment manager Ron Iddings might be one of the Golden Eagles’ most recognizable faces at sporting events, but his journey from Tyrone high school student-athlete to superfan status was built one season at a time.

Iddings’ father first sparked his passion for Tyrone athletics, taking him to football, basketball, wrestling, and baseball games as a kid. 

The love of sports instilled by his dad carried through his own high school days.

While a student at Tyrone, Iddings played on the football, wrestling, baseball, and track teams, all while being a volunteer firefighter and keeping up with his schoolwork.

After graduating in 1977, Iddings spent many years working at Westvaco and the Penn State power plant before returning to his alma mater in 2020 as Tyrone’s equipment manager when the football team needed someone to step up. 

Today, he can be found on the TASD campus any time of day or night, directing traffic in the morning, working security in the evening, or performing one of his many duties as equipment manager.

“It’s a year-round job, but you’re busy from May to the end of the season, and there’s always inventory and cleaning,” Iddings said.

Whether hauling uniforms, handling security, or lending a hand for whatever needs to be done at Gray Field, Iddings has become an essential part of Tyrone’s sports landscape.

On game days, Iddings starts with breakfast and arrives at Gray Field by lunchtime, often joined a little later by his reliable helper, Dave Miller, to help him prepare for the game. 

Just like many of the athletes, Iddings has a ritual for everything, from organizing jerseys to not changing his gameday outfit during a winning streak.

“If we get in a winning streak, I don’t like to change [anything],” he admitted. 

Wins bring light-hearted moments, including locker room TikToks with the players, but losses bring quiet reflection across generations of athletes.

Idding’s sports memories are woven into Tyrone’s history. He remembers attending the 1999 football championship in Hershey and watching several Tyrone wrestlers win state crowns.  Iddings has been there for almost all of the big moments in Tyrone sports for nearly 50 years.

When asked about his favorite moments and athletes, Iddings is careful not to single out favorites, instead praising each graduating class for their support and camaraderie, but he did give a shout out to this year’s senior class of football players as one of his favorite groups. 

“I love the kids, and that’s why I do it,” he said, summing up the heart behind every late-night game and early-morning practice.

Fans like Iddings make Tyrone’s sports culture what it is, connecting students, coaches, and families in a spirit of pride and commitment. 

The TSPN and Eagle Eye staff would like to profile more Tyrone superfans like Iddings.

If you know someone who is a lifelong committed Tyrone sports fan, just like Ron Iddings, let us know who they are and why they deserve to be profiled by TSPN and the Eagle Eye. 

Gallery • 8 Photos

Ron behind the wheel at football practice.