History of Our Mascot
October 22, 2008 | General
The History of Uga In the last 100 years of intercollegiate football, Georgia's Uga has established himself as the nation's most well-known mascot. The line of pure white English bulldogs, which epitomizes everything Georgia, has been owned by the Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler family of Savannah, Ga., since Uga I first graced the campus in 1956. 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. | |||
| SPECIAL APPEARANCES Bowl Games (season) UGA I Orange ’59, Sun ’64 UGA II Cotton ’66, Liberty ’67, Sugar ’68, Sun ’69, Gator ’71 UGA III Peach ’73, Tangerine ’74, Cotton ’75, Sugar ’76, Bluebonnet ’78, Sugar ’80 UGA IV Sugar ’81, Sugar ’82, Cotton ’83, Citrus ’84, Sun ’85, Hall of Fame ’86, Liberty ’87, Gator ’88, Peach ’89 UGA V Independence ’91, Florida Citrus ’92, Peach ’95, Outback ’97, Peach ’98 UGA VI Outback ’99, Music City Bowl ’01, Sugar ’03, Capital One ’04, Outback ’05, Sugar ’06, Chick-fil-A ’06, Sugar ’08
Men’s Basketball Final Four, Redcoat Band Send-Off | Uga VII, 2008-2009 "Loran's Best" Uga VII's Official Page | ||
Uga VI: "Uga V's Whatchagot Loran" Record: 87-27 Uga VI's Official Page | |||
| Uga V, 1990-99 Uga V's Official Page In the first game of 1990, Uga V officially began his reign as the Georgia mascot taking over from his father Uga IV, who passed away at his home in Savannah on Feb. 26, 1990. Uga V was the last pup sired by Uga IV and was born on March 6, 1990.Named in honor of one of the greatest Bulldogs, Dan Magill, former Assistant Athletic Director for Public Relations and longtime tennis coach and sports information director. Surprisingly, the Seiler family became aware that Uga IV's mate was expecting only 10 days before the litter was due. This notice came a week after Uga IV had passed away at his home in Savannah from kidney failure. There were only three pups in the litter and the last one born on March 6 was the only solid white male. epitaph: "Nation's Best College Mascot" -- Sports Illustrate | |||
|
Otto, 1986
Although Otto was not pure white like his father, he was called upon to fill in for his younger brother, Uga IV, who injured ligaments in his left hind knee when jumping off a hotel bed before the Vanderbilt contest. In four games during the 1986 season, Otto led the team to a 3-1 record and also co-mascotted (along with Uga IV), a victory over instate rival Georgia Tech. After winning his first two games, fans cheered, "2-and-0 with Otto!" Dooley, serving as head coach during Otto's brief tenure, favored the substitute the most. "I have always had a great affection for those who came off the bench and performed, and he did that and had a great time," Dooley said. Otto is buried in the Seiler's backyard.
| |||
| Uga IV, 1981-89 Uga IV was perhaps the most active of all the Georgia mascots, standing as the only one to attend a bowl game every year of his service (1981-89). He took over for Uga III in the 1981 season opener and over the next nine seasons, led Georgia to a record of 77-27-4. The highlight of his career was his personal appearance at the Heisman Trophy Banquet with Herschel Walker in New York on December 9, 1982. Uga IV was escorted through the banquet hall by the president of the Downtown Athletic Club, and was earlier photographed with Herschel by news photographers from across the country. The proud Bulldog donned his game jersey for the outing but added the formal touch of a collar and black tie. Uga IV was the first mascot invited to the Heisman Banquet. Declared "Dog of the Decade" by Vince Dooley in 1991, Uga IV was posthumously awarded the highest honor available to University of Georgia mascots - the Georgia varsity letter. epitaph: The Dog of the Decade Marty Argo with UGA IV
| |||
| Uga III, 1973-80 Born October 9, 1972 , Seiler's Uga Three was present for Georgia football's finest moment as Herschel Walker took the Bulldogs to the 1980 national championship. He had led Georgia to six bowl games in nine years and closed out his career in ultimate fashion winning the 1980 NCAA championship. Uga III retired on the 100th football game of his career, marking the season-opener of the 1981. He died just weeks later.
| |||
| Uga II, 1966-72 Uga I was succeeded by his son, Ole Dan's Uga at an impressive pregame ceremony at Homecoming, 1966. With the Georgia Redcoat Band lining the field, Uga II was led to the center of the field by Charles Seiler, son of Sonny and Cecelia. The student body erupted in a cheer that was picked up by the entire stadium, "Damn Good Dog!" Uga II had an impressive reign as he watched Georgia participate in five bowl games and win two SEC championships. epitaph: Not Bad for A Dog
| |||
| epitaph: Damn Good Dog | |||
| Mike, 1951-55 Butch was succeeded by Mike, another brindled English bulldog, owned by C. L. Fain. Mike lived in the field house on campus and died of natural canine causes in 1955. As his master’s thesis, Gene Owens of Fort Worth, Texas, cast the bronze statue of Mike, which is located at the entrance of Memorial Hall. | |||
| 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 Georgia-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. | |||
| Mr. Angel, 1944-46 Mr. Angel, a brindle and white colored English Bulldog owned by Eastman, Ga., physician, Warren Coleman, filled a void during some of the war years. There was no mascot roaming the sidelines and Coleman took Mr. Angel to games and stood with him on the sidelines. His picture on the field and with the Georgia cheerleaders appears in the 1945 and ’46 UGA annual, the Pandora. | |||
| Trilby, 1894
“...every day Trilby took herself down to old Herty field with her master for football practice. She ran signals with the best of them and became an accustomed figure on the athletic field...One morning, Trilby failed to appear for her breakfast and after a frantic search she was finally discovered proudly washing the faces of her newborn family, 13 white puppies...Late one dusky fall afternoon, Trilby appeared for a grid workout and scampering after her came her 13 children, darting through players’ legs, barking and pace. ‘Well,’ suggested one of the players, ‘Trilby has brought us a name, Bulldogs.’ ...Every time a game was played on Herty Field, the boys would floss Trilby and her 13 offerings up with red and black ribbons, and so attired they have gone down in history as perhaps the first ‘sponsors’ in southern football.”
—AJC, Nov. 18, 1962 | |||
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.” | |||
