NFL Mascots

Football Team Mascots

While grown-ups may not always be crazy about them, the giant costumed NFL mascots are still an important part of any football team’s supporting cast. With their colorful costumes and zany antics, they help get the crowd fired up for each and every play.

Younger fans are particularly fond of them, and mascots will normally attend hundreds of school and charitable events each year. Many of the NFL’s mascots have only been adopted in recent years. As of this writing, the Packers, Jets, Giants, Raiders and Rams do not have an official mascot.

Big Red – Arizona Cardinals Mascot

This 6’4″ cardinal mascot hatched on October 4th, 1998, and he currently makes his home in the University of Phoenix Stadium. Big Red has danced with the Black Eyed Peas and appeared on television networks such as MTV, CNN and ESPN. He’s been to the Pro Bowl as a mascot on four occasions, and he lists Kurt Warner, Edgerrin James and Anquan Boldin as among his favorite NFL players.

In his free time, Big Red enjoys playing the guitar, bowling, dancing and beating up Rams, Niners and Seahawks. He’s also fond of watching Animal Planet on television and listening to “Bird is the Word.”

Freddie Falcon – Atlanta Falcons Mascot

Freddie has the distinction of being Atlanta’s first mascot, and he’s been entertaining fans in Georgia for over 35 years. During his years of service, he’s performed everywhere from Cuba to Egypt. He’s even been to Hong Kong one year to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Freddie Falcon also has been voted to the Pro Bowl, but his favorite place to be is in the Georgia Dome. Do not confuse Freddie with the mascots of Bowling Green University or the Fresno Falcons of the East Coast Hockey League, which go by the same name. The Atlanta Falcons mascot says that Freddie is a common name among Falcons.

Boltman – San Diego Chargers Mascot

Boltman has been portrayed by Dan Jauregui since 1995. During the day, Dan works as a realtor and part-time school bus driver. For two years, he worked for the San Diego Chargers organization and wore their costume. At that point, Dan became an independent contractor and invented the new Boltman look. He owns the copyright and trademark to Boltman and can market himself as he sees fit.

In over a decade of service, Dan says that a fan has never given him a hard time.

The demand for autographs and pictures is so large that it usually takes him a quarter and a half just to get through the plaza leading to the stadium.

Edgar, Allan and Poe – Baltimore Mascots

Named for Edgar Allan Poe, Baltimore resident and famous author, these three Ravens first appeared on the scene in 1998. During a routine examination of the stadium, members of the grounds crew discovered a strange nest in M&T Bank Stadium. Made up of pieces of old footballs, the oversized nest contained three eggs.

Prior to the preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on August 24th, 1998, the eggs began to shake. They were moved to midfield, and the eggs finally hatched prior to kickoff.

Edgar was the first to hatch. Tall and proud, he represents positions such as quarterback and linebacker. The shorter and thinner Allan was the next to hatch. Quicker than Edgar, he represents wide receivers and running backs. Finally, the lazy-yet-lovable Poe waddled out from his egg. Representing the linemen of the game, he is on a constant quest for the perfect cheeseburger.

Billy the Buffalo – Bills Mascot

William “Billy” Buffalo was born in Kissimmee, Florida and attended Bovine University. After graduation, he was taken first overall in the NFL Mascot Draft. Billy made his official debut in 2000, but he wouldn’t join the Buffalo Bills until their 2003 home opener against the Tennessee Titans.

Now residing in Ralph Wilson Stadium, the eight-foot-tall Billy enjoys playing with kids, signing autographs and eating buffalo wings. As Billy is quick to point out, buffalo wings are not made from buffalo; they just originated in Buffalo, New York.

Sir Purr – Carolina Panthers Mascot

Born in Paw Creek, North Carolina, Sir Purr would later attend CAT-awba College and major in PURR-forming Arts. Upon graduation, he joined the Panthers during their inaugural 1995 season and quickly developed a rivalry with Jaxson de Ville, mascot of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Off the field, Sir Purr enjoys snacking on birds such as Eagles, Seahawks and Falcons, and his favorite book is “The Cat in the Hat.” When he’s not making appearances at hospitals, schools and summer camps, he can sometimes be found at his favorite vacation spot of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

An excitable mascot, Sir Purr once jumped on a live ball during a regular season game. After a bit of controversy, the play was ruled as a touchback.

Chicago Bears Mascot – Staley Da Bear

Born in a forest near a lake, Staley Da Bear is named after A.E. Staley, the man who originally founded the Bears franchise in 1919. The Chicago Bears were originally known as the Decatur Staleys and then the Chicago Staleys.

That’s why, on August 6th, 2003, Staley was drafted by the Bears in the first round of the NFL Mascot Draft. When he’s not supporting the Bears or making public appearances, Staley loves to exercise, fish and play the drums. His ex-girlfriend is Britney Sbears, and he’s best friends with Yogi, Pooh and Smokey.

Who Dey – Cincinnati Bengals Mascot

This 6’5″ Bengal tiger has been performing for several decades and has made five Pro Bowl appearances. He attended college at Bengal University, graduating summa cum laude in entertainment and fun. After graduation, he was made an honorary dean of the university.

Who Dey currently lives in the jungle of Paul Brown Stadium, and he loves to hang out with the fans, coaching staff and members of the team. His favorite song is “Welcome to the Jungle” and his favorite book is “Where the Wild Things Are.”

His favorite snacks are salted steelers, dried dawg on toast and fried raven. To work off any calories from these snacks, Who Dey enjoys riding his scooter for exercise.

Cleveland Browns Mascots – Trapper, TD, CD & Chomps

Not to be outdone by the hated Baltimore Ravens and their three mascots, the Cleveland Browns would unveil four team mascots. Each is a different breed of dog and represents qualities necessary for success on the gridiron.

CB is a Bull Mastiff, and he’s the leader of the group. His favorite position is quarterback, and his favorite song is “Cleveland Rocks.” When he’s not entertaining fans, he loves to chow down on Alpo ad Baltimore Ravens wings.

Trapper is a Weimaraner who loves health and fitness. His favorite position in football is running back, and he excelled at physical education in school. He’s been known to shout “Here we go Brownies, here we go” from time to time, and he’s partial to dawg bones and gridiron popcorn.

Chomps is a playful Labrador, and he loves to play wide receiver. During his days in school, he did well in art and band, and he loves to hum “Bad to the Bone.” When it comes to food, Chomps can’t get enough of Puppy Chow mixed with Bengal tiger.

TD is a German Shepherd, and he excels at protection. Standing 6’3″ tall, his favorite position is safety. He eats Mighty Dog and Dawg Pound brats like there’s no tomorrow, and his favorite song is “Who Let the Dogs Out??”.

Rowdy – Dallas Cowboys Mascot

Rowdy became the official team mascot for the Dallas Cowboys in 1996. Since then, he’s appeared on television, participated in hundreds of charity events and been selected to the Pro Bowl in 1999 and 2001. Each year, he makes public appearances at birthday parties, grand openings, hospitals, schools and retirement homes.

Denver Broncos Mascot – Miles

The powerful horse known as Miles was born on January 31st 1999, which was the same day that the Denver Broncos won their second Super Bowl title. Over the next year, Miles grew up surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and learned to survive in the harsh climate. Raised by a herd of wild horses who happened to be Bronco fans, Miles learned all about the players and traditions of the team.

After a few years had passed, Miles became restless. He dreamed of a place where the grass stayed green year round. One day, he spied such a place from high in the mountains.

As it turned out, this place was INVESCO Field at Mile High. He now cheers on his favorite football team and helps the turf management crew keep the field trimmed. In his spare time, he helps promote the Broncos’ reading program, “Read Like a Pro.”

Roary the Lion – Detroit Lions Mascot

Standing 10 paws high and dressed in his favorite colors of Honolulu blue, silver and black, Roary the Lion has been cheering on his team for several years. He makes his home in The Lions Den of Ford Field, and he loves to read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Roary is an adventuresome lion, and he’s been known to try everything from skiing to riding mechanical bulls. If he weren’t the mascot for the Lions, Roary has stated that he would like to be the king of the jungle.

Not surprisingly, his favorite movie is The Lion King, and his favorite football player is Mike Furrey. When he sits down for a meal, he’s especially fond of Viking venison and barbequed Bear with melted Cheeseheads on top.

Roary the Lion looks hard-drinking to me, which isn’t surprising, given the state of the Detroit Lions in the Matt Millen era.

Toro the Bull – Houston Texans Mascot

Toro was born on April 21st, 2001, which makes him a Taurus. His parents are named Tex and Ann, and Toro received a MA degree (Masters of Acrobatics) upon graduation from college. He stands six feet tall and has a hoof size of 10 1/2.

Indianapolis Colts Mascot – Blue

Taking the form of a large blue horse, Blue has been cheering for the Indianapolis Colts since September 17th, 2006, when they played their regular season home game against the Texans. He was born in Jockey, Indiana and weighs 360 horseshoes.

Blue loves to eat field turf, and his favorite songs are “Wild Horses” and “Blue.” His favorite television show is Mr. Ed, while his favorite movies are Indiana Jones, The Blues Brothers and Seabiscuit.

Click on the following link to read the second half of our in-depth expose on NFL Mascots.

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