Jamie Yuccas Gets To Know 'Goldy The Gopher'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- There's no bigger fan cheering for the University of Minnesota to bring home the bacon this weekend than "Goldy Gopher."
That's why we wanted to learn more about him. As it turns, out Minnesota was tabbed the "Gopher State" in 1857 in a political cartoon. The first U of M yearbook beared the name "Gopher Annual" 30 years later and Clarence Spears, U of M football coach, named his team the Gophers in 1926.
While his toothy grin has changed over the years, his love for the U of M, hasn't.
"Goldy is the face of the university, he's our mascot. He's our guy," said Taylor Hannah, the mascot coach at the U of M. "He might look like a squirrel, but he is in fact a Goldy Gopher."
"Goldy" began his career as U of M mascot in the 1940s. By 1979, he needed to revamp his look. But in 1985, the fierce mega rodent didn't go over so well.
So do we ever worry that he's not tough enough with that big smile on his face?
"Well, he did go through awkward teenager years back in the age when he had the big eyebrows. Now he's back to being tough skinned," Hannah said.
Now that toothy smile makes more than 500 public appearances a year on top of game days.
"He gets there four hours before the game starts, so if it's an 11 a.m. game like this weekend, he'll be there at 7. We'll scope out his area where he keeps his props, then do running and pushups then goes to tailgate lots to interact with people and eat some hotdogs," said Hannah.
He often gets the crowd going by spinning his head. But under his coach for the past three years, training has gotten tough. Besides the vigorous exercise, he does pushups to be ready for when the Gophers football team scores in a game.
"Every touchdown, every field goal, every point," Hannah said.
Goldy's crowd interaction has gotten super. He won the Mascot National Championships in 2011 and 2013. He communicates by using charades while coming out with new skits and props to pump up the crowd.
Goldy the Gopher will be ready as the Gophers football team hosts Iowa on Saturday. The last time the Gophers beat Iowa was Jerry Kill's first year 2011, when the team was 1-6 at the time.
He plans to prank Iowa's mascot, "Herky the Hawk," during the game. "Herky" is his second most-rivaled mascot, behind Bucky Badger.
Some fun facts: Goldy has won 17 cars thanks to golfing holes-in-one, but has donated them all to the Showcase Showdown on the "Price is Right." One of Goldy's favorite hobbies is to bowl, where he has a 300 average. Goldy was the 10th dentist that did not recommend Sensodyne.
