uga mascot tradition
2018 SEC East Champions
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.”
gia-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 Georgia-Kentucky 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
Trilby, 1894
Butch was succeeded In 1894, Georgia’s mascot was by Mike, another brindled a solid white female bull terrier English bulldog, owned by owned by a student, Charles H. C. L. Fain. Mike lived in Black, Sr., of Atlanta. Trilby, the field house on campus named after a novel by George and died of natural canine Du Maurier, served as the campus causes in 1955. As his maspet and mascot for the Chi Phi ter’s thesis, Gene Owens fraternity. of Fort Worth, Texas, cast Disputing stories speculate the the bronze statue of Mike origin of the Bulldog nickname, which is located at the and the story of Trilby provides Trilby with owner Charles H. Black entrance of Memorial Hall yet another opinion: “...every day Trilby took herself down to old Herty field with her master for football Uga Takes the Field practice. She ran signals with the best of them and became an accustomed In the last 100 years of figure on the athletic field...One morning, Trilby failed to appear for her breakfast and after a frantic search she was finally discovered proudly Bronze statue of Mike washing the faces of her newborn family, 13 white puppies...Late one intercollegiate football, Georgia’s dusky fall afternoon, Trilby appeared Uga has established himself as the for a grid workout and scampering nation’s most well-known mascot. after her came her 13 children, dartThe line of pure white English bulling through players’ legs, barking dogs, which epitomizes everything and pace. ‘Well,’ suggested one of Georgia, has been owned by the the players, ‘Trilby has brought us a Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family name, Bulldogs.’ ...Every time a game of Savannah, Ga., since Uga I first was played on Herty Field, the boys graced the campus in 1956. would floss Trilby and her 13 offerings Through the years, Uga has been up with red and black ribbons, and defined by his spiked collar, a symbol so attired they have gone down in of the position which he holds. He history as perhaps the first ‘sponsors’ was given his name, an abbreviation in southern football.” —Ruth Stanton for the university, by William Young Cogill (Atlanta newspaper) of Columbus, a law school classmate “After the rein of Trilby and her Sanford Stadium Graves of Seiler. Each of the Uga mascots is family, chaos developed in the mascot awarded a varsity letter in the form department at the university. Many games had several, depending on which of a plaque, identical to those presented to all Bulldog athletes who letter alumnus got his dog to the game first.” —AJC, Nov. 18, 1962 in their respective sports. As determined and published by the Pittsburgh Press, the Univer Mr. Angel, 1944-46 sity of Georgia is the only major college that actually buries its mascots Mr. Angel, a brindle and white colored within the confines of the stadium. Ugas I-IX are buried in marble vaults English Bulldog owned by Eastman,Ga.,near the main gate in the embankment of the South stands. Epitaphs to physician, Warren Coleman, filled a void the dogs are inscribed in bronze, and before each home game, flowers during some of the war years. are placed on their graves. The memorial plot attracts hundreds of fans There was no mascot roaming the sideand visitors each year. lines and Coleman took Mr. Angel to games For the past 20 years, Uga’s jerseys have been custom-made at the and stood with him on the sidelines. His beginning of each season from the same material used for the players’ picture on the field and with the Georgia jerseys. Old jerseys are destroyed. cheerleaders appears in the 1945 and ’46 Uga’s on-field home is a permanent air conditioned doghouse located UGA annual, the Pandora. next to the cheerleader’s platform, providing comfort in the heat of August and September. The custom-made doghouse is a gift from the Butch, 1947-50 Bahamian Bulldog Club of Nassau, Bahamas, through the courtesy of Butch was a brindled English bulldog Fred Hazlewood. owned by Mabry Smith of Warner Robins, Ga. He was spotted by students who were attending the 1946 Geor-
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