Cocky (mascot)

Cocky

University	University of South Carolina
Conference	SEC
Description	Gamecock
First seen	October 16, 1980

Cocky is the costumed mascot of the University of South Carolina athletics teams. He represents a cartoon version of a gamecock (a fighting rooster).

The current version of Cocky made his debut, by Robert Lane, at the Homecoming game of 1980. He was portrayed as the son of Big Spur, a large, gangly barn yard rooster that had been attending games since 1978 as a mascot of the university. Big Spur had been introduced as a fraternity pledge class project headed by student Chuck Eaton. Eaton served as the mascot from 1978 until 1980 when the role was taken over by USC students Robert Lane and John Routh. Big Spur was seen as too large and unwieldy with limited mobility. Therefore, Cocky, Big Spur's "son", was brought in to replace Big Spur. At the introduction of Cocky, he was originally booed off the field by students and fans who thought he was not "dignified enough".

After spending a year as the mascot for the women's teams as a female Cocky, he gained general acceptance primarily during the baseball season, and he slowly took over for Big Spur. in 1981 and 1982 Cocky was invited to be the official mascot of the NCAA Baseball College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. He was chosen in a nationwide contest in 1986 as America's First 'National Mascot' - by the Universal Cheerleading Association, Ford Motor Company, and American Airlines. He was mascot champion in 1986 and again in 1994, and the Capital One mascot championship in 2003.^[1] Cocky, portrayed by Blake Edmunds, has picked up another national title in April '09 by winning the 2009 NCA Mascot National Title.^[2] Cocky was a member of the Capital One Bowl All-America Mascot Team in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008.^[3]

The original Cocky was John Routh, 1980-1982, who became the mascot for the University of Miami, and later became Billy the Marlin for the Florida Marlins. Charlie Fitzsimmons followed in 1983-1985. The anonymous JH had the longest tenure from 1985–1992. He redesigned Cocky from the inside-out to allow for more mobility and a kinder more adroit, cartoon-like character. He was fluent in American Sign Language (ASL), which delighted audiences. In the summer of 1985 at the Universal Cheerleading Summer Mascot Camp, he was voted by the other college mascots as the Best Of The Best, and received the Master Key to Spirit Trophy.

JH was the winner of the first National Mascot contest ever held in 1986, based on the 1985–1986 season of performances. (He held the title of "National Mascot" from 1985–1987.) That year he was recognized with a Concurrent Resolution by the SC House of Representatives as "Goodwill Ambassador of the State of South Carolina". The national attention became intense...over the years he met Pope John Paul II, President Reagan, President Bush, and many other celebrities. After winning Nationals, he received a call from The Tonight Show. They wanted him to do a skit, then disrobe and talk to Johnny. JH strongly believed in anonymity and that the character should remain the focus and gain all of the attention for USC...creating a mystique surrounding the character. For these reasons, he turned down The Tonight Show request. In a 1990 survey taken of SC Residents Cocky was noted as the "most positive and easily recognizable image of the University of SC". He was hired by the University of SC in 1988 to continue representing USC and the State of SC as a Goodwill Ambassador. At that time he was one of only two college mascots in the nation that were hired as a full-time mascot.

In 1992, the university decided to move Cocky from under the umbrella of Athletics/Public Relations to Student Affairs. From that point forward Cocky was to be portrayed by a series of students. JH left USC (after seven years/1378 appearances) and at the recommendation of SC Coach Emeritus Frank McGuire he became a mascot for Shinn Enterprises (Charlotte Hornets NBA, and the Charlotte Knights AAA International League Baseball). JH, as Homer the Dragon for the Charlotte Knights, performed with his predecessor from USC, John Routh as the Florida Marlin when the teams played each other in 1996. When Charlotte was not playing, he was hired by other teams to provide entertainment in stadiums across the nation. The National Baseball Congress in Wichita, Kansas hired him as entertainer for their World Series in 1995. In 1986 he became Mascot Director for the National Cheerleading Association (NCA). He founded the "National Mascot School" for NCA, wrote a curriculum and handbook and trained a staff who traveled the United States teaching "the art of Mascot" at High School and College summer camps.

JH stated that the most important and most memorable thing he did as Cocky was to visit terminally ill children and adults across the state. There were five "last request" situations in which people wanted a visit from Cocky. He made four of those visits, but regrettably was too late for the fifth.

Tommy Donavan portrayed Cocky beginning in 1992, and later became the Carolina Panthers mascot, Sir Purr. Ironically, Routh and Donovan appeared together in 1991 at the Japan Bowl in Tokyo, an all-star football game...Donovan as Cocky, and Routh as The Miami Maniac, the mascot of University of Miami baseball. Jamie Ballentine is one of the longest-serving student Cocky at four years from 2002-2006, during which he won Capitol One's Mascot Bowl. Cocky is a beloved fan favorite, chosen by many young fans as who they dress up as on Halloween.^[4]

References

University of South Carolina

Academics

Athletics

Teams	South Carolina Gamecocks

Men's sports	Baseball Basketball Football Golf Soccer Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field

Women's sports	Basketball Cross Country Equestrian Golf Sand Volleyball Soccer Swimming & Diving Softball Tennis Track & Field Volleyball

Facilities	Williams-Brice Stadium Colonial Life Arena Founders Park Stone Stadium

Campus

Student life

Miscellaneous

South Carolina Gamecocks football

Venues	Williams-Brice Stadium (1934–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Clemson Georgia North Carolina

Culture & lore	Cocky "The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way" Mighty Sound of the Southeast Sandstorm Clemson–South Carolina football brawl

People	Head coaches Statistical leaders NFL draftees

Seasons	1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball

Venues	Carolina Fieldhouse (1927–1968) Carolina Coliseum (1968–2002) Colonial Life Arena (2002–present)

Rivalries	Clemson

Culture & lore	History Cocky "The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way" Garnet Army

People	Head coaches Retired jerseys

Seasons	1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17

Mascots of the Southeastern Conference

Eastern Division	Albert and Alberta (Florida) Hairy Dawg and Uga (Georgia) The Wildcat, Scratch, and Blue (Kentucky) Truman the Tiger (Missouri) Cocky and Sir Big Spur (South Carolina) Smokey (Tennessee) Mr. C (Vanderbilt)

Western Division	Big Al (Alabama) Big Red, Sue E. Pig, Pork Chop, Boss Hog, and Tusk (Arkansas) Aubie and War Eagle (Auburn) Mike the Tiger (LSU) Bully (Mississippi State) Rebel Black Bear (Ole Miss) Reveille (Texas A&M)

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