The concept of a human dressed up in a huge animal (or human, in the case of UVA, Harvard, UMass, Wake Forest, and many other schools) costume may be frightening to some. However, I’m sure most of you agree that without seeing your mascot running around at every game, the experience just wouldn’t be the same – whether it’s a polar bear, owl, Boston terrier, lion, Saint Bernard, panther, husky, sand shark, wildcat, longhorn steer, horse, or even an orange! At JMU, the Duke Dog is the face of our athletics, and because this furry, caped creature sparks a level of excitement within the student body comparable only to a small child meeting Santa at the mall, I decided to find out more about this man (or woman!) behind the mask so we can all get a little insight into the world of college mascots.
Duke Dog Try-Outs
Not just anyone can fill the shoes, (or paws, rather), of a college mascot, and since the Duke Dog’s management has jumped around from the Athletics Marketing Department to the cheerleading team, the ways of recruiting him have varied through the years. Currently, “the Duke Dog student-athletes are volunteers; they are trained once they are brought on board,” says Tameka Burroughs, JMU’s cheerleading coach. However, Eric Schnurr, a JMU alum who also happens to be the very first Duke Dog ever (’82-’84), says it’s how consistent they are once they are recruited that’s important.
“It needs to look and be the same every time someone’s in that suit. Whether it’s a small guy, tall guy, fat guy or a skinny guy…The best person is the one who you don’t know who’s inside,” says Schnurr, who’s recently been trying to work with the Duke Dogs to “give them some guidance and leadership” and start a consistent annual mascot tryout.
Jack*, one Duke Dog representative, spontaneously discovered his mascot calling one day while he was daydreaming in the library. “I texted my friend on the cheerleading team and asked when the tryouts were. They were supposedly that very day… in an hour,” Jack remembers.
Rushing downtown to go to a local event with a JMU cheerleader, Jack was told to simply “interact with the crowd” in the mascot costume to see how natural his Duke Dog alter-ego came to him. It turned out that that it came pretty easily, because he was asked to act as the mascot for the rest of the home games.
Another Duke Dog actor, Kent*, recalls a different try-out experience. “You’re asked to do a dance to some random music, pantomime a skit while in costume (e.g., wake up and make breakfast), and then you are given a brief ‘Duke Dog Walk’ tutorial and asked to then proceed with the walk.”
This seems like a lot of pressure, but Kent says since his face is hidden, he feels free to do just about anything. “As long as you keep silent, it’s pretty tough to see when the actor has made a mistake,” says Kent.
Game Day!
The athletes aren’t the only ones that use up a lot of energy on game days. If you’ve ever watched your own college mascot, I’m sure you’ve noticed how crazy they get while running around to pump up the crowd. Tom*, a JMU grad student and former Duke Dog of two years, followed this rule before every game: “Drink a lot of water…You lose a few pounds in water weight every hour so it’s incredibly important to stay hydrated.”
For Kent, he uses music to prep for his appearance at a game. “I start with anything that is loud and energetic or just has a good flow,” he says. “Then right before the game, I listen to something a lot more calm and mind relaxing…That way when I step out into the real noise, I just react to the energy on a whole new level.”
Jack uses a more “au-natural” approach when he transforms into the Duke Dog. “I just put it on and go… nothing is planned or premeditated,” he says. “I just improvise, flirt with the crowd, climb on stuff, dance, and use whatever I can find to get a rise out of people.”
Just like they have different ways to prepare themselves for an appearance, the Duke Dogs have both developed their own special “doggy style”… or in other words, some signature mascot moves. Kent’s is a combo-dance he developed halfway into basketball season. “The John Wall Waltz vs. The Robot. Doesn’t really have a name yet, but I’m working on it,” he says.
Jack the Duke Dog has some moves of his own. “I will lay on the ground like a little girl with my hands on my chin and my legs kicking in the back. I always go to shake hands with women and then bring in their hand for a kiss,” he says.
Whether it’s borrowing the dance team’s poms to do a little dance or “playing the air drums to the pep band” (which is Tom’s move), Schnurr says “Duke dog needs to have the same image year in and year out,” but these funny moves add to the performance. “You need to build the image that there’s not a person in there. It should just be a big, goofy, fun-loving… Duke Dog!” says Schnurr.
Bad Dog! Mascot ‘No-No’s
It’s hard for a Duke Dog not to get carried away with all the adrenaline pumping through its fuzzy body, but there are some tricks that a mascot just shouldn’t pull. What’s the biggest no-no? For Jack, it’s “interfering with the game or its players,” he says. “I never do anything to compromise the outcome of the sport being played.”
Although that fur coat seems like it would make for good cushioning, putting yourself in danger is another thing a Duke Dog should avoid. “The coaches and staff would rather you not get hurt, so they tend to react quick when they feel the situation isn’t safe,” says Kent, giving examples like crowd surfing and walking on bars.
However, sometimes it’s hard to control the energy of a mascot, especially when the crowd goes crazy and treats you like a celebrity. “If the marketing director tells you that you are not allowed to stand on trash cans, ledges, and other objects that could allow for injury…it’s actually just a suggestion and you don’t really have to follow those rules (kidding… but we got in trouble for that a lot),” Tom jokes.
For Jack, his favorite Duke Dog memory was when he really let loose. “I went nuts climbing on trash cans and dancing, walking and balancing on railings, sliding down poles instead of walking down stairs…” he remembers. “I played with children, rolled around on the ground, antagonized the opposing team and their fans…The entire experience was both thrilling and liberating.” Game officials lectured him, but it wasn’t long before his Duke Dog instincts got the best of him again.
The Superhero Dilemma: Revealing Your Identity
I’m pretty sure there isn’t a phone booth on campus that they zoom into like Superman to get into costume before a game, but just how secretive do you have to be to be a Duke Dog? For Kent, he doesn’t really like his alter ego to be publicized. “I let my close friends know, and some of the other athletes, since a lot of them are the people I’m around the most,” he says.
Jack tells his close friends, too, but he said it started to spread pretty fast. “At one point my coach realized how many people knew, [and] she said I could tell anyone as long as they know not to yell out my name when I’m in the suit,” says Jack. But due to a costume malfunction before a pep rally, Jack may have accidentally let a few more students “in” on his identity than he had wanted.
“I saw two of my friends together so I ran up to them to take a picture. I usually will put all my weight on two people and kick my legs up for pictures if I think they are strong enough. Well, this time I decided to go really high with my legs…the only problem is on this particular day I didn’t strap on my helmet in the head,” recalls Jack. “When I threw my legs in the air and rotated, the head came off and started bouncing around like I was decapitated! I frantically threw my cape over my head and cowered like a fetus until my friend ran the head back to me…Everyone went nuts laughing.”
During a basketball tournament one year, Tom also had an embarrassing Duke Dog moment, but fortunately for him he was able to hide behind the big mask. “I was standing at one end of the court during a JMU game. We hit a big shot and in excitement I jumped up swinging my fist,” says Tom. “Unfortunately, at this same moment, one of the tournament officials was walking by and I punched him right in the face. He fell to the ground as well as his glasses.” Yikes! Hopefully not too many kids saw that one.
Despite some of these embarrassing moments and Game Official lectures, Jack says he “would not have traded this opportunity and experience for anything else at JMU.” Kent, with three years still left to play Duke Dog, agrees that being a college mascot is an awesome privilege. “As a regular spectator, you can only do but so much before people think you’re an imbecile. However, when you’re in costume people just think it’s funny,” points out Kent.
JMU students also seem to greatly appreciate the comic relief the mascot offers. “He keeps everyone entertained – it wouldn’t be the same if he wasn’t there!” says Elisa Tedona, JMU junior. “Everyone knows who he is, from little kids to parents. It’s like he’s real – he’s a part of the JMU community!”
If you want to see the Duke Dog in action, check out these videos! Duke Dog does a back-flip:
Inspirational Duke Dog Video made a couple years ago:
Duke Dog gets into a little Brawl:
Duke Dog Mock-News Story about the Capital One Mascot Challenge:
*Names in this article have been changed in order to protect the Duke Dogs’ identities!
Sources: Tameka Burroughs, JMU Cheerleading Coach
Eric Schnurr, JMU Alum, Duke Dog from ’82–’84
Elisa Tedona, JMU junior