The Dallas Cowboys mascot is a character who has been around since the 1970s, and it’s been done by many different people. Some of the most popular people to do this include: A.J. DuBois, Paul Rucker, and Michael Cody Waggoner. This article will give you a brief history of the Dallas Cowboy mascot and provide some insight into what makes them so special.
The History of the Dallas Cowboy Mascot
The Dallas Cowboy was introduced in the summer of 1970 by Phil West, the local sports writer. He came up with the idea to have the team and stadium workers wear colored shirts to help him notice what happened when an athlete in the area got hurt. As it turned out, many athletes who would go to the hospital had a hat in the same color as the team jersey so he realized this would be a good gimmick to help create a mascot for the Cowboys.
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He also noted that the uniforms the team and stadium workers wore were also navy blue, and that should also work for the mascot. He chose the mascot to be a man in the same color as the uniform to try and create a strong connection between the fans and the team. West also wanted it to be a jock type of guy with blond hair and a goatee.
The Characteristics of the Dallas Cowboy Mascot
The Dallas Cowboys Mascot is a white cowboy with black boots, a cowboy hat, and a white horse named “Randy”
The Cowboy character is armed with a spurs, a lasso, and a six gun
The Dallas Cowboy mascots give high fives and handshakes. They also give hugs.
The Dallas Cowboys Mascot is a fan of the Cowboys, and always cheers on the team. He is also a huge Cowboys fan.
How Did the Dallas Cowboys Mascot Get Created?
In the 1970s, a man named A.J. DuBois was working as a mascot for a minor league baseball team. In the very first mascot contest, he won 2nd place, with his creation, Dusty.
Details about the Mascot History
In 1973, the Dallas Cowboys were up for sale, and Jerry Jones made a small investment in the team to keep the team in Texas. In a short time, Jones became a fan and started to attend games. One day, Jerry saw a player dressed as the Dallas Cowboy mascot “White Lightning” at halftime. This had him inspired to have a mascot that resembled the team so he bought the rights to the costume and renamed the character “Hakty Gear.” A.J. DuBois soon followed the costume as Hakty’s runner up in 1974, and they ran together through 1975. In 1976, Jeff “J.J.” Johnson was hired as the new mascot for the Cowboys.
At this point, it was only allowed that J.J. was referred to as Hakty, so no one really knew that he was actually a man until 1978.
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Who Designed The Dallas Cowboy Mascot?
Before the Dallas Cowboys became a team they were an AFL franchise from 1960-1970. The Dallas Texans played their first game on October 27th, 1960 against the Houston Oilers. From 1960 to 1969 the Texans won three straight AFL Championships and had an overall record of 103-15. During their time in the AFL they were referred to as the “Texas Tornadoes”.
In 1967 the Texans joined the NFL and won their first two games in the NFL season. In 1968 the Cowboys came to Dallas and the owner wanted a mascot to represent the Cowboys. The owner brought on A.J. DuBois to design the mascot. DuBois, a former Dallas Texans player, also designed the statue at Texas Stadium.
DuBois’s first sketches were released on April 12th, 1967.
What makes the Dallas Cowboys mascot unique?
The first time you see the Dallas Cowboy mascot he is wearing a horse head. He is taking a ride and the horse is galloping and the feathers in the costume are on fire. This means that it was Paul Rucker and Michael Cody Waggoner, who created the flaming horse. They became the franchise’s first mascot in 1974. The team soon started the tradition of using actual racehorses, instead of a scarecrow, to portray the mascot.
They went on to do the same thing with their second mascot, Hot Dog. He was also called “The Running Horse.” But this was not how he appeared on the football field. He was painted brown, and he had a saddle and everything. In 1983, the Cowboys would take it to the next level by adding cowboys boots to the costume. This was done to really get people’s attention.
How long has the current design been around?
The current design of the mascot first debuted back in 1978, but the real beginnings of the mascot begin with the more modern school of thoughts that Waggoner had. They had wanted to make the mascot a contemporary theme, so that’s when they decided to place this charismatic, fun, big headed character on a horse.
What does this person do?
The one thing the Dallas Cowboy mascot has done since they began was to promote the team and themselves to the public.
Conclusion
The Dallas Cowboys mascot is a character that is unique and iconic in its own right. Since its inception in 1946, the mascot has gone on to make an impression on the people of Texas and beyond. This article provided a brief history of the Dallas Cowboys mascot and what makes it so unique.
Are you an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys? Check out these posts about Dallas Cowboys fan memorabilia, along with one on Cowboys books!
