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.

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.”

In 1894, Georgia’s mascot was a solid white female bull terrier owned by a student, Charles H. Black, Sr., of Atlanta. Trilby, named 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 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 one dusky fall afternoon, Trilby appeared for a grid workout and scampering after her came her 13 children, darting through players’ legs, barking and pace. ‘Well,’ suggested one of the players, ‘Trilby has brought us a name, Bulldogs.’ ...Every time a game was played on Herty Field, the boys would floss Trilby and her 13 offerings up with red and black ribbons, and so attired they have gone down in history as perhaps the first ‘sponsors’ in southern football.” —Ruth Stanton Cogill (Atlanta newspaper)

“After the rein of Trilby and her family, chaos developed in the mascot department at the university. Many games had several, depending on which alumnus got his dog to the game first.” —AJC, Nov. 18, 1962

Mr. Angel, a brindle and white colored English Bulldog owned by Eastman,Ga.,physician, Warren Coleman, filled a void during some of the war years.

There was no mascot roaming the sidelines and Coleman took Mr. Angel to games and stood with him on the sidelines. His picture on the field and with the Georgia cheerleaders appears in the 1945 and ’46 UGA annual, the Pandora.

Butch was a brindled English bulldog owned by Mabry Smith of Warner Robins,

Ga. He was spotted by students who were attending the 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 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.

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 Trilby with owner Charles H. Black of Fort Worth, Texas, cast the bronze statue of Mike which is located at the entrance of Memorial Hall

In the last 100 years of intercollegiate football, Georgia’s Uga has established himself as the nation’s most well-known mascot. The line of pure white English bulldogs, which epitomizes everything Georgia, has been owned by the Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family of Savannah, Ga., since Uga I first graced the campus in 1956. Through the years, Uga has been defined by his spiked collar, a symbol of the position which he holds. He Sanford Stadium Graves was given his name, an abbreviation for the university, by William Young of Columbus, a law school classmate of Seiler. Each of the Uga mascots is awarded a varsity letter in the form of a plaque, identical to those presented to all Bulldog athletes who letter in their respective sports. As determined and published by the Pittsburgh Press, the University of Georgia is the only major college that actually buries its mascots within the confines of the stadium. Ugas I-IX are buried in marble vaults near the main gate in the embankment of the South stands. Epitaphs to the dogs are inscribed in bronze, and before each home game, flowers are placed on their graves. The memorial plot attracts hundreds of fans and visitors each year. For the past 20 years, Uga’s jerseys have been custom-made at the beginning of each season from the same material used for the players’ jerseys. Old jerseys are destroyed. Uga’s on-field home is a permanent air conditioned doghouse located next to the cheerleader’s platform, providing comfort in the heat of Mr. Angel August and September. The custom-made doghouse is a gift from the Bahamian Bulldog Club of Nassau, Bahamas, through the courtesy of Fred Hazlewood.

The current Uga line of solid white English bulldogs began with Uga I, Hood’s Ole Dan, born Dec. 2, 1955, in Columbus. Uga I was given to Cecelia Seiler by a friend, Frank Heard of Columbus and appeared in his first game in the 1956 home opener. As recalled by Sonny Seiler, “...his original red jerseys were made by Cecelia. It was necessary to take up children’s t-shirts to fit the dog in the right places. There is no telling how many of these jersey’s he wore out. During the early games in Athens, especially the hot ones before he had a dog house, the large green hedges that surround Sanford Stadium afford welcomed shade in the heat of battle. Unfortunately, the hedges constantly tore these jerseys and new ones had to be made.” epitaph: Damn Good Dog

Uga I was succeeded by his son, Ole Dan’s Uga at an impressive pregame ceremony at Homecoming, 1966. With the Georgia Redcoat Band lining the field, Uga II was led to the center of the field by Charles Seiler, son of Sonny and Cecelia. The student body erupted in a cheer that was picked up by the entire stadium, ‘‘Damn Good Dog!’’

Uga II had an impressive reign as he watched Georgia participate in five bowl games and win two SEC championships. epitaph: Not Bad for A Dog

Bowl Games (season)

I Orange ’59, Sun ’64

II Cotton ’66, Liberty ’67, Sugar ’68, Sun ’69, Gator ’71

III Peach ’73, Tangerine ’74, Cotton ’75, Sugar ’76, Bluebonnet ’78, Sugar ’80

IV Sugar ’81, Sugar ’82, Cotton ’83, Citrus ’84, Sun ’85, Hall of Fame ’86, Liberty ’87, Gator ’88, Peach ’89

V Independence ’91, Florida Citrus ’92, Peach ’95, Outback ’97, Peach ’98

VI Outback ’99, Music City Bowl ’01, Sugar ’03, Capital One ’04 Outback ’05, Sugar ’06, Chick-fil-A ’06, Sugar ’08

VII Capital One ’09

IX Capital One ’13, Gator ’14, Belk ‘14

X Taxslayer ‘16, AutoZone Liberty ‘16, SEC Champ. Game ‘17-’18’-19; Rose ‘18, CFP Champ. Game ‘18, Sugar ‘19, Sugar ‘20, CFA Peach ‘21, Cap. One Orange ‘21 CFP Champ. Game ‘21, CFA Peach ‘22 Russ Independence Bowl ’09, AutoZone Liberty Bowl ’10, Outback Bowl ’12 Other Sporting Events & Banquets

Men’s Basketball Final Four, Albuquerque, N.M, 1983 (IV) Men’s Basketball SEC Championships, 1990 (IV) Heisman Trophy Banquet, Dec. 9, 1982 (IV) Coronation of NCAA Men’s Tennis Champions, 1999 (V) Miscellaneous

Sports Illustrated Cover, April 28, 1997 (V) The Animal’s Who’s Who (III) Sports Illustrated (IV, V, VI) Featured on the Animal Planet (VI) ESPN’s College Gameday (VII, IX) Dog Fancy Magazine (VI) Time (IV); Newsweek (IV); Football News (IV) SportMagazine (IV) 1997 movie, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” (V) 1976 movie, “Gator,” (III) Charitable Functions

Born Oct. 9, 1972, Seiler’s Uga III was present for Georgia football’s finest moment as Herschel Walker took the Bulldogs to the 1980 national championship. He led Georgia to six bowl games in nine years and closed out his career in ultimate fashion winning the 1980 NCAA championship. Uga III retired on the 100th football game of his career, marking the opener of the 1981 season. He died just weeks later. epitaph: How ‘Bout This Dawg

Uga IV was perhaps the most active of all the Georgia mascots, standing as the only one to attend a bowl game every year of his service (1981-89). He took over for Uga III in the 1981 season opener and over the next nine seasons, led Georgia to a record of 7727-4. The highlight of his career was his personal appearance at the Heisman Trophy Banquet with Herschel Walker in New York on December 9, 1982. Uga IV Uga IV was escorted through thebanquet hall by the president of the Downtown Athletic Club, and was earlier photographed with Herschel by photographers from across the country. The proud Bulldog donned his game jersey for the outing and added the formal touch of a collar and black tie. Uga IV was the first mascot invited to the Heisman Banquet.Declared ‘‘Dog of the Decade’’ by Vince Dooley in 1991, Uga IV was posthumously awarded the highest honor available to University of Georgia mascots — the Georgia varsity letter. epitaph: The Dog of the Decade

Although Otto was not pure white like his father, he was called upon to fill in for his younger brother, Uga IV, who injured ligaments in his left hind knee when jumping off a Otto hotel bed before the Vanderbilt contest. In four games during the 1986 season, Otto led the team to a 3-1 record and also co-mascotted (along with Uga IV), a victory over instate rival Georgia Tech. After winning his first two games, fans cheered, “2-and-0 with Otto!” Dooley, serving as head coach during Otto’s brief tenure, favored the substitute the most. “I have always had a great affection for those who came off the bench and performed, and he did that and had a great time,” Dooley said. Otto is buried in the Seiler’s backyard.

In the first game of 1990, Uga V officially began his reign as the Georgia mascot, taking over from his father Uga IV, who passed away at his home in Savannah on Feb. 26, 1990. Uga V was the last pup sired by Uga IV and was born on March 6, 1990.

Named in honor of one of the greatest Bulldogs, Dan Magill, former Assistant Athletic Director for Public Relations and longtime tennis coach and sports information director. Surprisingly, the Seiler family became aware that Uga IV’s mate was expecting only 10 days before the litter was due. This notice came a week after Uga IV had passed away at his home in Savannah from kidney failure. There were only three pups in the litter and the last one born on March 6 was the only solid white male.

Uga V had been perhaps the most well known of all the Bulldog mascots, highlighted by his appearance on the cover of the April 28, 1997, Sports Illustrated which declared him the nation’s best college mascot. Rocketed to stardom, he also appeared in Clint Eastwood’s “Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil” — filmed in his hometown of Savannah, Ga. He died on Nov. 22, 1999, just over two months after his retirement.

Epitaph: “Nation’s Best College Mascot”—Sports Illustrated

In 2007, Uga VI became the winningest mascot in school history and owned a record of 87-27. The fall of 2008 would have been his 10th season after Uga VI reigned over more games than any other mascot with 114. He died on June 27, 2008. In his last game, the Bulldogs defeated Hawai’i 41-10 in the 2008 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

The pregame passing of the bone ceremony from Uga V to his heftier and friskier son, Whatchagot Loran, took place at the 1999 Georgia-South Carolina contest. Only a year old at his coronation, Uga VI stood as the biggest of all the Uga mascots weighing in at 65 pounds — 20 pounds heavier than his father.

His first season climaxed in a magnificent come from behind victory over Purdue at the Outback Bowl in Tampa. The 2000 season ended in Hawaii, but due to the distance and a quarantine rule, Uga VI missed the O’ahu Bowl, marking the first time the Georgia mascot had missed the postseason game since the 1969 Sun Bowl.

Alongside first-year head coach Mark Richt, Uga VI saw his third consecutive 8-4 season, which included a 26-24 win at then-No. 6 Tennessee for the Bulldogs’ first win in Knoxville since 1980.

Uga VI and Georgia experienced their best run in two decades during the 200205 seasons. That stretch included 44 wins, a pair of SEC titles and appearances in the Sugar, Capital One and Outback Bowls.

In 2007, Uga VI passed Uga IV (77-24-4) for the most wins of any bulldog in school history.

The seventh in the Uga line of Georgia mascots was introduced to the Georgia people on Aug. 30, 2008, during pre-game ceremonies of the Bulldogs’ season opener against Georgia Southern.

“Loran’s Best” officially became “Uga VII,” when he was introduced for the first time to the Sanford Stadium crowd prior to kickoff of the Georgia vs. Georgia Southern game. He was escorted onto the field by members of the Frank W. “Sonny” Seiler family of Savannah who have owned the continuous line of mascots since Uga I took up the mantle in 1956.

Uga VII passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 19 of heart-related causes. It was the Thursday before the final home game of the 2009 season and the Bulldogs did not have a live mascot at the game. Instead, a wreath was placed on UGA VII’s doghouse, and the players wore a special UGA VII decal on their helmets to remember him. “Russ,” the five-year-old half brother of Uga VII, served as the Bulldog mascot for the Georgia Tech game in Atlanta and helped his squad to a 30-24 win. He was the first substitute mascot since “Otto” in 1986. Epitaph: Gone Too Soon

Born Sept. 12, 2009 in Savannah, Ga., Uga VIII is the grandson of Uga VI. He carried on the tradition of more than 60 years of all-white bulldogs bred by Frank “Sonny” Seiler and family.

Uga VIII was named in honor of Dr. Bruce Hollett from the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Hollett has been a longtime caregiver for the famed line of English bulldogs. UGA VIII served six games in the 2010 season before he became ill and missed the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. He passed away with lymphoma on February 4, 2011. Epitaph: He Never Had a Chance

“Uga IX, formerly “Russ,” the half-brother of Uga VII, served as interim Bulldog mascot for a total of 25 games. He worked nine games during the 2009 and 2010 seasons after Uga VII and VIII passed away. He roamed the sidelines at all 14 games during the 2011 season. He then served for two wins at the beginning of the 2012 season before being promoted as Uga IX prior to the Florida Atlantic game on Sept. 15, 2012. His time as mascot included the 2011 and 2012 SEC Eastern Division championships, three road wins at Georgia Tech, a victory over Texas A&M in the 2009 Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., and a win over Nebraska in the 2013 Capital One Bowl. He was the first substitute mascot since “Otto” in 1986.

Epitaph: He endeared himself to the Georgia people. His dedication to duty when called upon was exemplary.

Uga IX officially retired as the Bulldogs’ mascot at the end of the 2014 season. After a three-month “audition” in that role, his grandson “Que” was formally crowned as his successor in a collaring ceremony prior to the Georgia-Georgia Southern game on Nov. 21, 2015. Que assumed the title of Uga X at the age of 2 1/2 years. During his audition, he made appearances at the Countdown to Kickoff event in July 2015, as well as Picture Day in August, before presiding over the entirety of the 2015 football season. Que capped his inaugural season by leading the team to a 24-17 victory over Penn State at the 2016 Taxslayer Bowl.

Que has had the good fortune to preside over perhaps the greatest run in UGA football history. He is now the winningest member of the Uga line of mascots. Additionally, in the 2021 season, he reached heights attained by just one of his ancestors, UGA III, when Georgia won the 2022 CFP National Championship Game.