“Pizza guys are to a college campus as sunlight is to a plant,” said Ron Huber, a delivery driver for Pizza Pro’s, 928 W. Lincoln Highway.

Students, hungry from a hard night of drinking or long night of studying, suck pizza down like water, Huber said, and the pizza delivery guys, in their Ford and Toyota chariots, deliver more than $400 in pies a night.

Tips from these deliveries sometimes bring in more than $100 on a weeknight, whereas weekend nights can bring up to $160 a night in tips, said Dave Weinberg, a delivery driver for Pizza Villa, 824 W. Lincoln Highway. Tips generally increase after 8 p.m. when most people who order do so under the influence, he added.

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“They are slightly more generous than they would be if they were sober,” Weinberg said.

Pizza delivery guys also brave the danger of the elements, as well as the alluring flurry of breasts, prowling police and flying hunks of ice.

Pizza Pro’s manager Robert Schlecht said that one time, a snowball fight of World War II proportions erupted outside the Grant Towers. About 500 students participated, flinging snow everywhere and at anyone — with a prejudice.

Pizza delivery guys, fearing for their safety, avoided the residence halls that night, at least more so than usual, Schlecht said.

“Residence halls,” said Huber, pausing for a minute, “they don’t tip.”

Tips fuel the tanks and stuff the wallets of pizza delivery guys everywhere. Tips matter to these drivers.

“We take the tippers first and non-tippers last,” said Oliver Marcha, a Pizza Pro’s delivery driver.

A tip can range from a few bucks to more than $20 to a couple cans of beer to the quick second-long flash of skin at any cheap moment.

“That’s tip enough,” Huber said.

Drivers need the tips to sustain the mileage they put on their cars each night. Since purchasing his car two years ago, Driver Kris Borchers, who works for Pagliai’s Pizza, 1221 W. Lincoln Highway, has driven 25,000 to 35,000 miles delivering pizzas.

Huber purchased his car in May 2003. He has accumulated more than 20,357 miles.

Although he has an bachelor’s degree in history, Huber plans to deliver pizzas for the rest of his life to supplement his other full-time job: eBay.

“I got a degree for the basic reason anyone gets a general studies degree — to have a degree,” Huber said.

In comparison to Pizza Villa delivery guy Tom Hayden, Huber’s 20,357 miles is nothing. Hayden graduated from DeKalb High School in 1978 and started delivering pizzas when he was 21 years old.

Hayden estimates that he has delivered more than 10,000 pizzas in both Florida and Illinois to support his 17-year-old daughter, Amanda, who attends a private school in St. Louis, Mo.

“It [delivering pizzas] has put her in private school since she was born,” Hayden said.

In his years delivering food, no one has ever answered Hayden’s delivery naked, but deer have been known to answer the delivery without permission.

“Truck No. 17 hit a deer and took off the side mirror and antenna. The deer didn’t leave any insurance, so we had to pay for the whole thing,” Hayden said.

When they aren’t worrying about deer, drivers worry about local police. Police badger pizza delivery guys for parking illegally outside the residence halls, Huber said.

Last Saturday, on a delivery to Douglas Hall, Huber was stopped by University Police Officer Darryl Deer. Deer notified Huber of the correct parking space, which was about 20 feet to the right of the Douglas Hall entrance, behind a sign with an arrow.

“There’s 15-minute parking anywhere behind the arrow,” Deer said.

Minutes after Huber moved his car to the parking zone, a Papa John’s delivery guy parked in the spot.

“You can’t park there,” Deer said.

“OK,” the Papa John’s delivery guy said, ignoring Deer.

Deer stopped the driver and made him move his car into the marked area.

Other hazards include a incident a few years ago when a Wendy’s exploded into a gigantic ball of flames. Both sides of Route 38 were closed, funneling all deliveries into the congested residence hall traffic, Huber said.

Yet the deliveries still were delivered. They almost always are.

Although it might be hectic, most delivery guys care about the delivery and seem to want little more than to say hello and experience the world by taking yet another piping hot box of cheese, crust and sauce to your home — that is, for a small yet generous tip.