Pro-team mascots have Gator roots

September 29, 2009

Behind some of the most recognizable professional mascots’ plush suits and painted mesh, there lies a Gator.

You likely would never guess that under his big yellow antlers and giant-size Rochester Americans hockey jersey, The Moose actually bleeds orange and blue. Or you may not think the man behind Sir Purr of the Carolina Panthers got his start as an intern at the University of Florida.

One former University Athletic Association intern and three former Albert mascots are now professional mascot coordinators. In addition to the Amerks and Panthers, Gators are part of the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins.

The Moose, Rochester Americans
Tony Cajiga served as Albert from 2001 to 2004. He is now a mascot for the Rochester Americans, in addition to his other job as an engineer in New York. He said he never imagined he would be a professional mascot. Even trying out for Albert was someone else’s idea.

“Somebody in my dorm saw an ad in the student newspaper for Gator mascot tryouts and told me I should give it a shot,” he said.

As Albert, Cajiga participated in numerous events, such as the Outback Bowl, dedication of the Albert and Alberta statues at Emerson Alumni Hall and the filming of a CBS Sports commercial. The most exciting part of being Albert was performing in front of all the football fans, Cajiga said.

“I’ll never forget the feeling the first time I stood at the 50-yard-line and heard, ‘Heeeeeeere come the Gators!’ over the PA system,” he said.

In comparison to being Albert, Cajiga said the biggest difference is the size of the crowd. The hockey arena holds about 12,000 fans – considerably less than the 90,000-plus capacity of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

He may be The Moose, but Cajiga definitely has not lost that Gator spirit.

Some of the Rochester fans know he is a Gator and they do the Gator chomp. One family of season-ticket holders once got him a special present.

“I opened it up and it was a Florida Gators BCS Championship T-shirt,” he said.

Sir Purr, Carolina Panthers
Jarrid Danburg, a former UAA intern who is now Sir Purr for the Carolina Panthers, also fondly remembers his time at UF.

He said his work in the UAA Marketing and Promotions department put him in situations and in projects that required “initiative, confidence and the ability to engage a crowd.”

Danburg gained most of his performance knowledge by studying and talking to other collegiate and professional mascots and trying out different techniques on his own.

“It is important to treat your character as a brand and remember that everything you do reflects the NFL, your team and the character,” he said.

Danburg has participated in events such as the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii, Celebrity Mascot Games in Florida and the Chinese New Year Parade in Hong Kong.

Blitz, Seattle Seahawks
Ryan Asdourian, Albert from 1999 to 2003, is now coordinator for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks’ Blitz. He received a UF bachelor’s degree in computer science and was fellow Albert Tony Cajiga’s roommate for a year.

Asdourian said his most memorable moment performing as Albert was “winning the Orange Bowl and being there for it.”

T.D., Miami Dolphins
Paul Johnson, who graduated with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UF, served as Albert from 2003 to 2007. He is now the mascot coordinator for T.D. of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

As Albert, Johnson performed at the 2006 Final Four basketball game, the 2006 BCS National Championship game and an ESPN SportsCenter commercial with the late Steve Irwin.

Johnson said he most enjoys interacting with the thousands of fans at each home game and appearance. “Without the connections I made as Albert, I probably would have never believed that I can actually get paid to do this.”