Uga, The Mascot Legacy
Although the University of Georgia is now known as the home of Uga, the pure white English bulldog, several mascots led the Red and Black before Frank W. Seiler provided the current lineage beginning in 1956.
The Goat, Feb. 22, 1892 Georgia’s mascot for its first football game against Auburn, February 22, 1892 in Atlanta, Ga., was a goat. Old newspaper clippings indicate that the goat wore a black coat with red U.G. letters on each side. He also had on a hat with ribbons all down his high horns, and the Auburn fans yelled throughout the game “shoot the billy-goat.”
1946 Georgia-Georgia Tech game in Athens, and the canine appeared to be suited for the mascot position. Smith agreed to loan Butch to the University during the football season along with a female puppy named Tuffy. The female died of a heart attack following the GeorgiaKentucky game in 1948, but Butch continued to serve. Spending the off-season at Smith’s home in Warner Robins, Butch was tragically shot in the summer of 1951 by a policeman after the dog escaped from his pen and was found roaming the streets. Butch is buried behind Smith’s business along Watson Boulevard. In 2004 plans for a marker honoring Butch in his hometown were put into motion by longtime Warner Robins resident Guy Fussell.
Mike, 1951-55 Butch was succeeded by Mike, another brindled English bulldog, owned by C. L. Fain. Mike lived in the field house on campus and died of natural canine causes in 1955. As his master’s thesis, Gene Owens of Fort Worth, Texas, cast the bronze statue of Mike which is located at the entrance of Memorial Hall.
Trilby, 1894 In 1894, Georgia’s mascot was a solid white female bull terrier owned by a student, Charles H. Black, Sr., of Atlanta. Trilby, named Trilby with owner Charles H. Black after a novel by George Du Maurier, served as the campus pet and mascot for the Chi Phi fraternity. Disputing stories speculate the origin of the Bulldog nickname, and the story of Trilby provides yet another opinion: “...every day Trilby took herself down to old Herty field with her master for football practice. She ran signals with the best of them and became an accustomed Bronze statue of Mike figure on the athletic field...One morning, Trilby failed to appear for her breakfast and after a frantic search she was finally discovered proudly washing the faces of her newborn family, 13 white puppies...Late Uga Takes the Field one dusky fall afternoon, Trilby appeared for In the last 100 years of intercollegiate a grid workout and scampering after her came football, Georgia’s Uga has established her 13 children, darting through players’ legs, himself as the nation’s most well-known barking and pace. ‘Well,’ suggested one of mascot. The line of pure white English bullthe players, ‘Trilby has brought us a name, dogs, which epitomizes everything Georgia, Bulldogs.’ ...Every time a game was played has been owned by the Frank W. “Sonny” on Herty Field, the boys would floss Trilby Seiler family of Savannah, Ga., since Uga and her 13 offerings up with red and black I first graced the campus in 1956. Sanford Stadium Graves ribbons, and so attired they have gone down Through the years, Uga has been defined in history as perhaps the first ‘sponsors’ in by his spiked collar, a symbol of the posisouthern football.” —Ruth Stanton Cogill (Atlanta newspaper) tion which he holds. He was given his name, an abbreviation for the “After the rein of Trilby and her family, chaos developed in the mascot university, by William Young of Columbus, a law school classmate of department at the university. Many games had several, depending on Seiler. Each of the Uga mascots is awarded a varsity letter in the form which alumnus got his dog to the game first.” —AJC, Nov. 18, 1962 of a plaque, identical to those presented to all Bulldog athletes who letter in their respective sports. Mr. Angel, 1944-46 As determined and published by the Pittsburgh Press, the Univer Mr. Angel, a brindle and white colored Engsity of Georgia is the only major college that actually buries its mascots lish Bulldog owned by Eastman,Ga.,physician, within the confines of the stadium. Ugas I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII are Warren Coleman, filled a void during some buried in marble vaults near the main gate in the embankment of the of the war years. South stands. Epitaphs to the dogs are inscribed in bronze, and before There was no mascot roaming the sidelines each home game, flowers are placed on their graves. The memorial plot attracts hundreds of fans and visitors each year. and Coleman took Mr. Angel to games and For the past 30 years, Uga’s jerseys have been custom-made at the stood with him on the sidelines. His picture beginning of each season from the same material used for the players’ on the field with the Georgia cheerleaders jerseys. Old jerseys are destroyed. appears in the 1945 and ’46 UGA annual, Mr. Angel Uga’s on-field home is a permanent air conditioned doghouse lothe Pandora. cated next to the cheerleader’s platform, providing comfort in the heat of August and September. Butch, 1947-50 Butch was a brindled English bulldog owned by Mabry Smith of War ner Robins, Ga. He was spotted by students who were attending the
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2010 Spring Media Guide