University of Georgia
uga's mascot tradition 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.”
Trilby, 1894
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
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 intercollegiate football, breakfast and after a frantic search she was finally discovered proudly Georgia’s Uga has estabBronze statue of Mike washing the faces of her newborn family, 13 white puppies...Late one lished himself as the nation’s most dusky fall afternoon, Trilby appeared well-known mascot. The line of for a grid workout and scampering pure white English bulldogs, which after her came her 13 children, dartepitomizes everything Georgia, has ing through players’ legs, barking been owned by the Frank W. “Sonny” and pace. ‘Well,’ suggested one of Seiler family of Savannah, Ga., since the players, ‘Trilby has brought us a Uga I first graced the campus in 1956. name, Bulldogs.’ ...Every time a game Through the years, Uga has been was played on Herty Field, the boys defined by his spiked collar, a symbol would floss Trilby and her 13 offerings of the position which he holds. He up with red and black ribbons, and was given his name, an abbreviation so attired they have gone down in for the university, by William Young history as perhaps the first ‘sponsors’ of Columbus, a law school classmate in southern football.” —Ruth Stanton of Seiler. Each of the Uga mascots is Cogill (Atlanta newspaper) awarded a varsity letter in the form of “After the rein of Trilby and her Sanford Stadium Graves a plaque, identical to those presented family, chaos developed in the mascot to all Bulldog athletes who letter in department at the university. Many games had several, depending on their respective sports. which alumnus got his dog to the game As determined and published by the Pittsburgh Press, the Univer first.” —AJC, Nov. 18, 1962 sity 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 Mr. Angel, 1944-46 near the main gate in the embankment of the South stands. Epitaphs to Mr. Angel, a brindle and white colored the dogs are inscribed in bronze, and before each home game, flowers English Bulldog owned by Eastman,Ga.,are placed on their graves. The memorial plot attracts hundreds of fans physician, Warren Coleman, filled a void and visitors each year. during some of the war years. For the past 20 years, Uga’s jerseys have been custom-made at the There was no mascot roaming the sidebeginning of each season from the same material used for the players’ lines and Coleman took Mr. Angel to games jerseys. Old jerseys are destroyed. and stood with him on the sidelines. His Uga’s on-field home is a permanent air conditioned doghouse located picture on the field and with the Georgia next to the cheerleader’s platform, providing comfort in the heat of cheerleaders appears in the 1945 and ’46 August and September. The custom-made doghouse is a gift from the UGA annual, the Pandora. Mr. Angel Bahamian Bulldog Club of Nassau, Bahamas, through the courtesy of Fred Hazlewood. Butch, 1947-50 Butch was a brindled English bulldog owned by Mabry Smith of Warner Robins, Ga. He was spotted by students who were attending the 1946 Geor2020 Georgia Bulldogs • Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Media Guide
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