PHOTOS: 42 years of Cocky

42 YEARS OF COCKY

Calista Pushman

Whether it’s breaking out of a magic box to kick off a football game, dancing along the sidelines with the cheerleaders or taking fun selfies with students in the stands, Cocky is a staple at all USC sporting events. While most of the Carolina community loves the

DEBUT

Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth West Cocky on the football field in 1980 for his season debut. At first, many students were not on board with the mascot’s friendly look.

Gamecock mascot, it took some time for Gamecocks nation to love the cartoonish red bird as they do today. Follow along through the history of Cocky, starting at his official debut in 1980, to the present day.

The mascots of South

Carolina and Clemson keep fans fired up for the game.

Whether it’s 1990 or present day, one thing has always been the same: the Clemson-Carolina rivalry is between players and mascots alike.

Cocky often performed with the cheerleaders. His soft and fun demeanor, though disliked by many at first, quickly grew on students with each appearance in the 1980s.

1990

Photo courtesy of Garnet & Black Yearbook Photo courtesy of Garnet & Black Yearbook

Cocky joins the Carolina Band in the stands at a football game in 1994. Though many students often see Cocky on the field at football games, his schenanigans aren’t limited to the sidelines.

Photo: Kyle Holland

Photo courtesy of Garnet & Black Yearbook

Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth West

Photo: David Zilber Cocky and Sir Big Spur together in 1980. Sir Big Spur has a tall, stiffer build, while Cocky — his “son” — was made to be less intimidating. This was done by making him much softer, featuring a red coat, cartoonish yellow beak and a round build. 1980

Photo: Richard Vogel

Cocky on the baseball field in the 1980s holding a toy Cocky on the top of a cheer pyramid in 1982. John Routh, the man in the suit at the time, went on to become a mascot at the baseball bat. In contrast to Sir Big Spur, Cocky took on a goofy personality that kept crowds entertained. University of Miami. 2000

Cocky and his parents pose on the football field in 1994, displaying the Family Weekend tradition that is still seen today. The only difference is Cocky’s number, as today his jersey — and the supportive buttons his parents wear — read “MY SON IS #01.”

Photo courtesy of Garnet & Black Yearbook Photo: Juan Blas Cocky and his girlfriend walk the sidelines during USC’s Homecoming game against Vanderbilt in 2005. Though Cocky is most known for wearing his jersey, it’s common to see Cocky dressed up for special events beside a friend or family member.

Photo: Jeremy Aaron

Zackary Gray, 6, poses in a Cocky costume with the actual Cocky mascot in 2009. This shows a stark contrast from Cock’s initial audience reaction.

Cocky is known for his grand football entrance. Set to “2001: A

Space Odessey,” Cocky fights out of a “magic box” accompanied by flames, fireworks and fierce cheers from the Carolina Crowd. This moment was captured before the

Gamecocks took on Missouri on Sept. 22, 20122010

Cocky on the field of Williams-Brice Stadium in 2013. While the Carolina community knows Cocky well, very few people know his true identity until the students wear the suit’s gloves and feet at graduation.

Photo: C. Aluka Berry

Photo: Jeffrey Davis

Cocky doing his iconic call on the sidelines of Williams-Brice Stadium. Although Gamecocks lost to the Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 17, 2022, Cocky kept the crowd going with moves like this.

Photo: Calista Pushman

Incoming transfer players bring experience, leadership to Gamecock men’s basketball

lawson murrell

New South Carolina men’s basketball head coach Lamont Paris begins his tenure in Columbia with five new transfer athletes from a variety of programs.

Paris made his name at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga by taking advantage of the transfer portal. He now looks to replicate that success with the Gamecocks.

“I hope to put a product out there that people are scratching their heads and saying ‘How in the world did that work? I see who they have playing and this guy didn’t really play much at this school and this guy’s never played at this level and that guy’s never played that role at all,’” Paris said at SEC Media Day.

The newcomers include graduate forward Hayden Brown, who previously played at The Citadel, junior guard Meechie Johnson, who transferred from Ohio State, and redshirt junior forward Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, who transferred from Illinois.

Brown was the first player from the portal to commit to the Gamecocks in April. He has a pre-existing relationship with Paris, as the two competed against each other in the Southern Conference at their previous schools.

“It’s a really special relationship that we’ve had because it’s been unique right, like, I’ve played against him for five years, so I’ve had somewhat of a feel for who he is as a person, who he is as a coach,” Brown said. “So, I’ve been very comfortable with him.”

Brown started all 30 games he appeared in for the Citadel last season, averaging 18.8 points and 9.5 rebounds. He played a total of 111 career games for the Bulldogs from 2017 to 2022. Now, the 24-year-old looks to share his experience as the oldest player on the roster with his new teammates.

“I don’t take a role like that lightly, and I enjoy being somebody that the guys can look to and be Meechie johnson

like, “Okay he’s been there, he’s done that,” Brown said.

Johnson is another incoming transfer who brings much-needed NCAA Tournament experience. He came off the bench for the Buckeyes in the tournament this past season and played 43 games for the team over two seasons. Johnson said he intends to lead by example to establish a winning mentality in Columbia.

“When you see a teammate or somebody who’s all about winning all the time, it’s a domino effect,” Johnson said. “It shows the other players, other players start to do it, other players start to buy in. I feel like that’s the biggest thing I’m trying to show these guys.”

Johnson’s minutes per game tripled from his first to second season at Ohio State and he looks to take another step with his on-court production this year. He said Paris’ game plan and approach with his team will assist him in meeting those goals.

“Offensively, just the freedom to be able to be you, to play your game. (Paris) has instilled confidence I feel like in every single player, in every guy out there, and I feel like that’s big,” Johnson said.

Each transfer brings with them perspective from their previous programs and unique skills but the team will have to develop chemistry to compete in the SEC. Bosmans-Verdonk stressed the importance of connectivity amongst a newly assembled roster.

“With the coaching change and so many different players coming in, I think there’s something to be said about not really having had the opportunity to play with each other for a long time. I think that defensively, especially, it’s like a machine, and you’re only as strong as your weakest link,” Bosmans-Verdonk said.

Bosmans-Verdonk chose to come to Columbia after graduating from Illinois in three years to enroll in the South Carolina law school. He experienced injury trouble with the Illini and that, alongside the extra year of eligibility from COVID-19, will allow him to play for the Gamecocks for multiple seasons.

Another transfer, senior guard Ebrima Dibba, will be out for the season due to an Achilles injury. Dibba came to Columbia from Coastal Carolina where he played 90 career games for the Chanticleers.

Senior guard Chico Carter Jr. is familiar with the transfer portal after playing last season with the Gamecocks following a transition from Murray State the previous offseason. He has first-hand experience with the challenge of adapting to a new program but said the team is already bonding well.

“Our chemistry has been great for a lot of new faces, a lot of transfers, incoming freshman,” Carter Jr. said. “I feel like we’ve been jelling off the court, even if it’s like playing a game in the house or listening to music, watching film, just being around each other.”

hayden brown benjamin bosmans-verdonk

photos: nola dixon

Left & Middle: Transfer men’s basketball players answer questions from members of the media. The Gamecock’s men’s basketball team hosted a local media day on Oct. 12, 2022.

Right: Redshirt junior

Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk stands on the court of Colonial Life Arena during a basketball scrimmage on Oct. 26, 2022. The South Carolina men’s basketball team hosted a Garnet and Black Madness event.