Since the 1950s, Albert, adorned in his signature large orange shirt and blue hat, has been cheering the Gators to victory. He is a modern-day icon—his face is plastered on mugs, T-shirts and all over sports television.
It’s hard to picture Albert as a student at UF, but that’s exactly what he is. He has to balance schoolwork with being a student athlete, and he works hard to maintain a high GPA.
Depending on the week, Albert can make up to seven appearances. Anywhere from sporting events to charities to elementary schools—he’s even been on ESPN. Albert says he always tries to go out with a lot of energy. He does a lot of Gator chomps, and he doesn’t ever hold back.
The most incredible experience for him has been performing the Two-Bits Cheer at football games.
“It’s like meeting 90,000 people through a cheer,” he says.
In 2007, Sports Illustrated named Albert the No. 1 mascot in their “Mascot Power Rankings.” Albert says he thinks no other school love their mascots as much as UF loves him. He might not be able to do flips like other mascots, but he is extremely unique.
To prepare for appearances and stay in shape, Albert trains weekly in the football team’s weight room. He also has a membership to Gainesville Health & Fitness.
Albert is currently dating the 25-year-old Alberta, usually seen in her orange dress and bow. She has been waiting for a ring, but he says he’s afraid of commitment. Indeed, when Alberta isn’t looking, Albert likes to flirt with the ladies (but he doesn’t want her to know that).
Being the UF mascot isn’t always easy. Albert has to be outside in the intense Florida heat a lot. He takes breaks depending on how hot it is outside and drinks a lot of water. The heat can turn him into a very smelly Gator, so he bathes about once a week.
Albert also gets teased by rival teams, kids are sometimes scared of him, and he really doesn’t like getting his tail pulled. But for the most part, people are very nice to him.
“I like that everyone wants to see me,” he says. “It’s a very cool feeling.”
The most important thing to Albert is making sure that he keeps people laughing.
“If people are laughing and want to come to take pictures with me, then I know that I’m doing my job,” he says.