Have you ever wondered why Virginia Tech’s mascot is a turkey? It’s a question that has puzzled many, especially those unfamiliar with the Hokies’ rich history and quirky traditions Well, buckle up, because the story behind the Hokiebird is a wild ride, filled with gobbling fans, trained turkeys, and a nickname that’s as unique as it is memorable
From Gobblers to Hokies: A Culinary Transformation:
In the early 1900s, Virginia Tech’s athletic teams were known as the “Gobblers.” This nickname likely stemmed from the hearty appetites of the student-athletes, who were known for their voracious consumption of food. However, by 1913 the Gobblers were ready for a mascot makeover. Enter a fan with a rather unconventional idea: trained turkeys.
This fan brought a flock of trained turkeys to the games, much to the amusement of the crowds. The turkeys performed tricks, strutted their stuff, and quickly became a beloved part of the Virginia Tech gameday experience. The teams were soon nicknamed the “Hokiebirds,” a playful nod to their feathered mascots.
The Hokiebird Takes Flight:
The Hokiebird mascot stuck, evolving over the years into the iconic figure we know and love today. The current Hokiebird is a vibrant, energetic character, complete with a bright orange costume, a cheerful demeanor, and a knack for getting the crowd pumped up.
More Than Just a Mascot:
The Hokiebird is more than just a mascot; it’s a symbol of Virginia Tech’s spirit, pride, and unique identity. The Hokiebird embodies the school’s values of hard work, dedication, and a touch of quirky fun.
The Legacy of the Gobbler:
While the Gobblers may no longer be the official mascot, their legacy lives on in the Hokiebird’s name and the school’s culinary traditions. Virginia Tech is known for its delicious food, and the Gobbler’s spirit of hearty appetites is still alive and well on campus.
The story of the Virginia Tech Hokiebird is a testament to the power of tradition, creativity, and a little bit of turkey magic. From its humble beginnings as a fan’s quirky idea to its status as a beloved icon, the Hokiebird continues to be a source of pride and joy for Virginia Tech students, alumni, and fans around the world.
Additional Resources:
- Hokiesports.com: https://hokiesports.com/sports/2018/4/19/a-look-at-life-behind-the-beak-the-story-of-the-hokiebird
- Virginia Tech Athletics: https://hokiesports.com/
- The Hokiebird’s Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/HokieBirdVT
Go Hokies!
“VPI’s ‘Gobbler’ to retire; agile replacement wanted”
After the Gobblers memorable debut, MacPherson, who was graduating, sought a replacement to ensure its legacy. “The student needed to fill this position should be agile, vivacious, and interested,” according to an article published in Virginia Tech. All interested students are urged to try out, since the future for next years Gobbler looks rosy. “.
And rosy it was. MacPherson says, “Maybe a dozen, 15 people came. We thought no one would show up!” But they did, and the Gobbler lived on.
Recalling that the Gobbler for three years, Thorton Goode (ceramic engineering 67), could find the costume challenging in inclement weather. In a particular game, Goode claims that the “woolen outfit absorbed the precipitation like a sponge, despite the cold, sleet, rain, and snow.” The most difficult part of the suit, he adds, was its tail feathers. “I had a real problem with them–keeping them, that is. Folks would come up to me and pluck them for keepsakes. Thats why I used colored crepe paper in place of the feathers every once in a while. “.
When Pam Gunsten (health and physical education 70), an athletic junior, wanted to play college sports in 1968, the bird broke through new barriers. At that time, she says, female athletes were limited to two choices: basketball player or cheerleader. “Being nearly six feet tall,” she says, “I knew my chances at cheerleader were slim. ” But she wanted to be involved somehow, and her eye fell on the beak of the Gobbler. “The man who interviewed me was honest. You know, we were worried about placing a woman in this role and the risks associated with being a mascot, such as kidnapping and roughhousing. I said, thank you very much, and that was that. “.
A few weeks later, Gunsten found out from a cheerleader that the student selected to be the team’s mascot had failed the audition. When the cheerleader inquired as to Gunsten’s interest in continuing to play the role, the junior quickly became Tech’s first female mascot.
As far as the initial concerns about rough handling from opposing fans, Gunsten recalls only one tense moment. “In those days, the big rivalry was with VMI. At the 1969 Thanksgiving Day football game, some cadets reportedly had plans to go retrieve the Gobbler. But the team closed ranks around me and stayed with me until we got out on the field.
Remember that I was unable to see very well when facing the Gobbler head-on, so I wasn’t aware of what had happened until I was on the field. I was asking myself, How did I get into the middle of a pack of football players?”.
The Gobbler underwent a dramatic makeover in the fall of 1971 when the recognizable long-necked bird made its debut. Karen Dillon (urban affairs 75), who wore the suit for three years, claims that it wasn’t as uncomfortable to wear as it seemed.
“Because it was safely strapped around your chest, it wasn’t too heavy, and you really didn’t have to balance it,” Dillon remembers. “The height was the problem. You had to remember to duck when going through doorways. “.
Because of that height, the costume wasnt made for the feats of todays HokieBird, she says. “I really didnt do much except dance around and act silly. After all, I was strapped into a 7 1/2-foot turkey suit, and it was physically difficult for me to stay in the suit for the whole basketball or football game due to the extreme heat. The head was made of thick foam rubber covered in bathroom rug-type material. Indoor temperatures during basketball season made it almost unbearable. To get me to drink soda and water, the cheerleaders would insert a piece of aquarium tubing through the opening on my head. “.
When Dillon participated in the 1973 NIT basketball tournament on television, he displayed the complete anonymity that the suit provided. She says announcers Pat Summerall and Don Criqui kept referring to the Gobbler as a male. “My dad wrote Summerall a telegram stating, ‘My daughter Karen Dillon is inside that turkey suit.'” Summerall gave me the telegram. Dad had no idea that I didn’t think it was great when fans found out this Fighting Gobbler was a female.”
Even now, Dillon, who felt destined to be the Gobbler since he was born on Thanksgiving, still likes the long-necked suit since it made him look more like a turkey. Bill Dooley, the 1978 hire that served as Virginia Tech’s football coach and athletic director, acknowledged that it did—but he didn’t like it. When he heard the legend that the nickname came from the athletes’ eating habits, he didn’t think it was a fitting Dooley started transforming that by taking out the scoreboard’s gobbling noise and reintroducing the team’s original moniker, “the Hokies.” “.
An idea is hatched
In the early 60s, the corps of cadets provided most of the sideline spirit at football games. That led one civilian student, senior Mercer MacPherson (civil engineering 63), to come up with an idea.
photo: Don Askers 63
“I felt we didn’t have much spirit in the civilian student body back in the early 1960s, when the corps pretty much ran Virginia Tech,” MacPherson says. “I saw the Pitt Panther, the Nittany Lion, and thought, we should have a mascot. “.
When MacPherson called the Pittsburgh business that produced the mascot suits, he was given a $200 quote for a new outfit. MacPherson left for the north to assist with the costume’s creation after gathering $180 from the civilian students and the remaining sum from the Student Body Senate.
“It was a thing of beauty,” he recalls. “Thats all I can say. The tail feathers were actually turkey feathers dyed to match our colors. ” Alas, the costume didnt arrive until a few days before the last game of the 1962 season. “We asked, Alright, whos going to wear this thing?” MacPherson says. “And no one wanted to! So I put it on. “.
Like its live predecessors, the new mascot was named the Gobbler, and it made its debut during the Thanksgiving Day “Military Classic of the South” game, which matched VPI against archrival VMI. “I went out with them and mingled among them, which got great cheers from the crowd,” MacPherson says of the Highty-Tighties’ halftime march onto the field. But the Highty-Tighties didnt like it. After the game, half of em wanted to fight me. “.
Some members of the crowd also thought the new mascot had gone overboard with his antics. One letter to The Virginia Tech, the student newspaper, read:
“Especially noteworthy in his appearance and actions was the individual who portrayed our Gobbler mascot. He was extremely entertaining and welcome; that is, until the Highty-Tighties took the field for their half-time show. At this point, he became a very large pest. I hope that our gobbler will not lay an egg at halftime on Thanksgiving Day again in the future. “.