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. Cocky, portrayed by Blake Edmunds, has picked up another national title in April '09 by winning the 2009 NCA Mascot National Title. Cocky was a member of the Capital One Bowl All-America Mascot Team in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008.

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.

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