"I like to compare myself to Bruce Wayne."
Have you ever wondered about the inside life of your mascot? I found him, had an interview and this is how it went.
First off, he wants you know the Sam Houston State cheer and dance teams are the absolute best. Hands down, no questions asked. Also, he has a friend in the Houston Zoo, and if you haven't gone and said hello, you need to!
Last, important thing: If you're interested in learning about how to be in Sammy's shoes, TRY OUTS are MAY 12th at 6:00p.m. in ABIII (Academic Building 3).
Q: What's one of the coolest things you've done?
"I played football with a bunch of other weird mascots at NRG Stadium at the Toro's Mascot Bowl! SFA and SHSU sent members of their cheer and dance team to promote the Battle of the Piney Woods game. At halftime, SFA's Lumberjack and I went down to the field and met up with Toro.
We ended up playing in a small game with a pee-wee team! I got tackled way too many times, but I did make a complete pass!"
Q: What's your favorite thing about yourself?
"How loved I am. Yes, I'm an attention hog and I am proud of it. I work really hard to show off this great university and I love the appreciation that is reciprocated. It is an honor to be Sammy!"
Q: What's your favorite thing to do?
"I love Football games! They get the most hype of the events at Sam. I get to ride on the back of the golf cart and do the KAT stomp before the game, and I even get to overhear Coach Keeler talk about how salty he is because of all the attention I receive." *Snickers*
"I also love to dance with our Orange Pride dance team! I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself."
Q: One thing you'd like everyone to know:
"Quit asking if I'm hot. Like seriously, stop."
Q: What's your favorite way to promote the school?
"I love going to out-of-town events! Everyone knows who I am, and I love representing Sam Houston State! I also take full advantage of Social Media. Getting a lot of favorites or likes brings light to the school, and being able to do that is a great feeling!"
Q: How old are you?
"I was born in December of 1959 so I am 58 years old. I don't look it, I know. We sometimes celebrate my birthday by getting shitty drunk with the football team! No, I'm totally kidding. That's not allowed." *Not direct quote*
Q: Besides sporting events, what else do you do?
"In the spring, the all-girl and co-ed cheer teams, orange pride and my team (The Sammy Squad) all prepare routines to compete at the NCA Collegiate Nationals in Daytona, Florida. Every spare moment we have we are working on our skits. We are separate teams all with one ultimate goal: to dominate.
I perform with all-girl and co-ed, as well as prepare my own skit for the mascot competition. My personal skit wins have been 2010, 2011, 2016, and 2017! We have won every year since 2010 with the co-ed and all-girl teams!"
Q: Closing remarks:
"I've had an amazing time representing Sam Houston State University throughout my years. I couldn't have asked to be the mascot for a better school. Thank you all for the support and love I have received. Awe... I'm gonna miss this place." *Started crying*
"I have the greatest appreciation for my Sammy Squad. I couldn't have done anything without them."
Sammy and I are extremely close at this point, and I didn't realize how much effort was put into being a mascot. After this interview, it's not hard to see how Sammy is really underappreciated.
Shout out to the men and women of the Sammy Squad! Ya'll really keep the smiles on the kids' faces at games and events! Next time you see Sammy, don't ask if he's hot! Say, "Thank you." He deserves it.
