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Once again Sportsrant continues to look into at day-to-day life of NFL: mascots. This is the 4th in a series, which will be done to cover other aspects within professional sports franchises. Coverage done by ESPN, Sportsline, and others is always on players, coaches, and the teams in general. Jaxson De Ville was generous enough to accommodate Sportsrant and answer these questions. Watch for the continuing series on NFL Mascots and beyond
What mascots did you like as a kid?
I watched cartoons as a kid…not a lot of teams had mascots when I was growing up…I saw mascots when I went to amusement parks but they never fooled me…I knew they weren’t the real thing because when I saw the Coyote he never had an anvil fall on his head…I thought they were just “guys in a suit” as we call it in the business…that’s the problem with amusement park mascots…no creativity…too commercialized and predictable.
Who was your mascot inspiration?
Inspiration?....UH…well it was senior year in College at Virginia Tech…I was over a year into my college mascot career and it was job fair time…you know the time in college when you put on your blue blazer and khaki pants with a red tie and go hand out your resumes to a bunch recruiters to try to land a job before you graduate…well I went to one of these and it took all of 10 minutes for me to look around the room and figure out that I was in the wrong place…I then looked into the future of becoming a professional mascot…this was the mid 90’s and mascots were just starting to really take off in sports…so my inspiration was not wanting to sit behind a desk for a living….i wanted to make people laugh and be a part of professional sports.
!!check out who is in the middle!!
What was appealing for you to get in a hot suit to entertain people at a sporting event?
In college it was appealing because I was a sports fanatic and went to all the games, basketball and football even baseball sometimes (mostly warm spring afternoon games that coincided with a class I didn’t want to go to)…as a sports nut the idea of being on the sidelines and seeing the action up close was all I needed….making people laugh and hanging out with the cheerleaders were unexpected perks that came along with the job…Now that I’ve been in the business for 12 years the appeal is the fan reaction and creating memories for them at every game and every appearance…it sounds corny but it’s true…without the fans love and support I don’t have a job…Tickets are more expensive every year and I take pride in helping make the entertainment value at the games worth that price.
How did you get started as a mascot?
Like I said I was your average college student who loved going to games…my buddies and I were the ones who slept out in line for tickets to games to make sure we got good seats…I saw the Hokie Bird on the field and thought how great it would be to be guaranteed a front row seat…I called to get info on tryouts and won the position at the end of Sophomore year…Had 2 great years as the Hokie Bird and I got invited to try out for the Jaguars one week after I graduated college in 96…I got lucky because they happened to call a minor league team I tried out for and that minor league team sent them my information…they invited 50 people to tryouts and after a 2 day tryout I was offered the job.
What advice would you have for young people who see their future in the mascot professional ranks?
Like anything else in life…get a college education…the mascot profession has turned into such a business that teams will not hire you unless you have a college degree…they want someone who can run all facets of the mascot position…plus the experience you get as a college mascot performing in front of large crowds and for multiple sports is invaluable…so I would say you need 3 things…- A college degree
- Mascot Experience in front of large crowds
- Luck…there are less than 100 mascot positions in the MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL and on average only 1 or 2 if any become available each year.
How much of the game can you actually follow while in the costume?
I follow the game as much as possible in between sponsor promotions and seat visits…I enjoy being into the game and keeping the fans into the game…I am a HUGE Jaguars fan…when we lose it hurts…if we lose at home I take it personally because as the 12th Man coordinator i feel like I can help make a difference in the game…even though I know the players win and lose games I have seen the effect a loud crowd can have on a game…It only takes one play to swing momentum in your teams favor…I can’t do a thing for our offense, but defense is a different story.
How important is on the field action for getting people fired up?
Football crowds know the drill…be quiet when your team is on offense and scream till your lungs explode for your defense…A loud crowd can keep a team from making audible at the line…if they can’t audible they can’t check out of a play when your defense has them pegged…that may just be the play that your defense makes a key stop or a big turnover…Coaches like to say that one play can’t win or lose a game but one play can swing the momentum in your teams favor and sometimes that’s all it takes.
How do you deal with a crowd that just lacks energy?
It’s part of the job…being able to read a crowd and get them back into a game when they are down…You have to know when and how to get them back...Sometimes it takes comedy and other times it takes beating the tar out of the opposing teams mascot, which can be funny as well…and there are times when doing nothing is what’s needed…The bottom line is that timing is everything in this business.
How do you deal with the times that YOU lack energy?
Adrenaline Rush, Red Bull, Amp, (energy drinks) whichever one of these drinks wants to sponsor me, that’s my answer.
What has been your least favorite experience as a mascot?
Losing the AFC Championship AT HOME to the Titans.
What has been your favorite?
I married a Cheerleader.
Worst part?
I get paid to act like an idiot…how can there be a “worst” part.
Most embarrassing moment as a mascot?
Getting a sponsor flag caught in a zip line stunt before a game. It was the debut of their new logo and I was bringing the flag down to the field and the wind blew it into my gear and it got stuck…luckily it didn’t completely snag me and I was able to complete the stunt and deliver the ripped flag to the CEO…It could have been much worse, had I been completely stuck the game would have been delayed and at the time Tom Coughlin was our coach…You can guess how he would have reacted to the delay.
Which other mascot in the league are you fairly certain you could beat up if it came to blows?
Beating up the opposing mascot for real is a College thing…In the pro’s we use a fake look alike of the opposing teams character and beat it up…It’s much easier to win the fight when it is scripted in your favor.
Which mascot do you find the most intimidating?
Raider Fan…They aren’t official mascots or anything but they are scary…I get paid to dress up on game days…those guys PAY to go to the games and dress up…issues, many issues…if I were in a fight and I could choose between a tough guy and a crazy guy as my partner, I’d choose the crazy guy every time.
What's the most trouble you've gotten in as a mascot?
Uh me trouble?...Never had any…Just because I’m not welcome in several NFL cities and the league office created an entire section of rules for game day because of me doesn’t mean I’ve caused any trouble, does it?
What's been the highlight of your career as a mascot?
Still having a job after 10 years in the league.
Can someone make a career out of being a mascot?
Well it’s been my only job for 10 years and I have very little debt…but I’ve only been married for one year so the debt thing may change.
What are your specific career goals in terms of being a mascot?
World Peace or Winning a Super bowl…whichever comes first.
What types of appearances do you take part in and how often?
About 300+ times a year…Schools, Churches, Charities, Corporate functions, Grand Openings, Birthdays, Weddings, Armed Forces Entertainment tours, Pro-Bowl, Super bowl events, etc….basically anywhere in the World someone wants some laughter I’ll go….oh yeah and they have to pick up the tab for my travel.
Something I’ve never told anyone?
I’m a hundredaire.
Sportsrant would personally like to thank Jaxson De Ville and the Jacksonville Jaguars organization for allowing this interview to take place.
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