Cocky

Cocky is the costumed mascot of the University of South Carolina athletics teams. He represents a cartoon version of a gamecock (a fighting rooster). Although the Gamecock has been the University of South Carolina's official symbol since 1902, there was no official mascot until 1971. Instead, during the early years, fans would dress up in their own costumes during the games. Beginning in 1971, John Nelson, an undergraduate biology student, attended games in a Gamecock costume. This mascot was known as "The Rooster". The costume included fabric feathers, a cardboard bill, and Styrofoam spurs, and was made by his mother. The Rooster attended both basketball and football games. "The Rooster" costume can be seen at USC's McKissick Museum. Dr. John Nelson can still be found at USC. He is currently the Curator of the University of South Carolina Herbarium, and plans to retire in 2018. The current version of Cocky made his debut, by Robert Lane, at the Homecoming game of 1980 against Cincinnati. He was portrayed as the son of Big Spur, a large, gangly barn yard rooster that had been attending games since 1978 as a mascot of the university.