The History of Uga
In the last 100 years of intercollegiate football, Georgia's Uga has
established himself as the nation's most well-known mascot. The line
of pure white English bulldogs, which epitomizes everything Georgia,
has been owned by the Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler family of Savannah, Ga.,
since Uga I first graced the campus
in 1956. Although the University
of Georgia is now known as the home of Uga, the pure white English
bulldog, several mascots led the Red and Black before Frank W. Seiler
provided the current lineage.
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SPECIAL APPEARANCES
Bowl Games (season)
UGA I
Orange ’59, Sun ’64
UGA II
Cotton ’66, Liberty ’67,
Sugar ’68, Sun ’69, Gator ’71
UGA III
Peach ’73, Tangerine ’74, Cotton ’75, Sugar ’76,
Bluebonnet ’78, Sugar ’80
UGA IV
Sugar ’81, Sugar ’82,
Cotton ’83, Citrus ’84,
Sun ’85, Hall of Fame ’86,
Liberty ’87, Gator ’88,
Peach ’89
UGA V
Independence ’91,
Florida Citrus ’92,
Peach ’95, Outback ’97, Peach ’98
UGA VI
Outback ’99,
Music City Bowl ’01,
Sugar ’03, Capital One ’04,
Outback ’05, Sugar ’06,
Chick-fil-A ’06, Sugar ’08
Other Sporting Events & Banquets
Men’s Basketball Final Four,
Albuquerque, N.M, 1983 (IV)
Men’s Basketball SEC
Championships, 1990 (IV)
Heisman Trophy Banquet,
Dec. 9, 1982 (IV)
Coronation Of NCAA Men’s
Tennis Champions, 1999 (V)
Miscellaneous
Sports Illustrated Cover,
April 28, 1997 (V)
Sports Illustrated (IV, V, VI)
ESPN’s College Gameday
Time (IV)
Newsweek (IV)
Football News (IV)
SportMagazine (IV)
The Animal’s Who’s Who (III)
Featured On The Animal Planet (VI)
Dog Fancy Magazine (VI)
1997 Movie, “Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil,” (V)
1976 Movie, “Gator,” (III)
2001 Emmy-Winning Episode Of Turner South’s Liar’s And Legends
Honorary Chairman, American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout,
1984 (IV)
Grand Marshal, UGA Homecoming Parade,
1999 (V)
Greater Savannah Athletic
Hall Of Fame (I, II, III)
St. Patrick’s Day Parade,
Savannah (IV, VI)
Blessing Of The Fleet,
Darien, Ga. (IV)
Onion Festival Parade,
Glennville, Ga. (IV)
Cotton Bowl Parade, 1984 (IV)
Peach Bowl Parade, 1973 (III)
Orange Bowl Parade, 1959 (I)
Grand Opening Of UGA National Alumni Center (VI)
Alumni, Bulldog Club And Touchdown Club Meetings
Georgia House Of Representatives
Georgia Senate Chamber
Georgia Governor’s Office
Reception For Georgia Congressmen In Washington D.C. 2002 (VI)
Best College Mascot In The South By Blue Ribbon Of Turner South
Broadcasting, 2005 (VI)
Best College Mascot By Southern Sports Awards,
2005 (VI)
Poster Boy With Coach Richt For U.S. Corps Of Engineers
Water Safety, 2005 (VI)
Redcoat Band Send-Off
To China, 2006 (VI)
Charitable Functions
March Of Dimes,
Easter Seals,
Heart Fund, Humane Society, Boys’ Clubs
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Uga VII, 2008-2009
"Loran's Best"
Uga VII's Official Page
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Uga VI: "Uga V's
Whatchagot Loran"
Record: 87-27
Uga VI's Official Page
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 Uga V, 1990-99
"UGA IV's Magillicuddy II"
Record: 65-39-1
Uga V's Official Page
In
the first game of 1990, Uga V officially began his reign as the Georgia
mascot taking over from his father Uga IV, who passed away at his home
in Savannah on Feb. 26, 1990. Uga V was the last pup sired by Uga IV
and was born on March 6, 1990.
Named in
honor of one of the greatest Bulldogs, Dan Magill, former Assistant
Athletic Director for Public Relations and longtime tennis coach and
sports information director. Surprisingly, the Seiler family became
aware that Uga IV's mate was expecting only 10 days before the litter
was due. This notice came a week after Uga IV had passed away at his
home in Savannah from kidney failure. There were only three pups in the
litter and the last one born on March 6 was the only solid white male.
epitaph: "Nation's Best College Mascot" -- Sports Illustrate
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Otto, 1986
The
Substitute record: 3-1
Although Otto was not pure white like his
father, he was called upon to fill in for his younger brother, Uga IV,
who injured ligaments in his left hind knee when jumping off a hotel
bed before the Vanderbilt contest. In four games during the 1986
season, Otto led the team to a 3-1 record and also co-mascotted (along
with Uga IV), a victory over instate rival Georgia Tech. After winning
his first two games, fans cheered, "2-and-0 with Otto!" Dooley, serving
as head coach during Otto's brief tenure, favored the substitute the
most. "I have always had a great affection for those who came off the
bench and performed, and he did that and had a great time," Dooley
said. Otto is buried in the Seiler's backyard.
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 Uga IV, 1981-89
"Seiler's Uga Four"
record: 77-27-4
Uga
IV was perhaps the most active of all the Georgia mascots, standing as
the only one to attend a bowl game every year of his service (1981-89).
He took over for Uga III in the 1981 season opener and over the next
nine seasons, led Georgia to a record of 77-27-4. The highlight of his
career was his personal appearance at the Heisman Trophy Banquet with
Herschel Walker in New York on December 9, 1982. Uga IV was escorted
through the banquet hall by the president of the Downtown Athletic
Club, and was earlier photographed with Herschel by news photographers
from across the country. The proud Bulldog donned his game jersey for
the outing but added the formal touch of a collar and black tie. Uga IV
was the first mascot invited to the Heisman Banquet.
Declared
"Dog of the Decade" by Vince Dooley in 1991, Uga IV was posthumously
awarded the highest honor available to University of Georgia mascots -
the Georgia varsity letter.
epitaph: The Dog of the Decade
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 Uga III, 1973-80
"Seiler's Uga Three"
record: 71-32-2
Born
October 9, 1972 , Seiler's Uga Three was present for Georgia football's
finest moment as Herschel Walker took the Bulldogs to the 1980 national
championship. He had led Georgia to six bowl games in nine years and
closed out his career in ultimate fashion winning the 1980 NCAA
championship. Uga III retired on the 100th football game of his career,
marking the season-opener of the 1981. He died just weeks later.
epitaph: How 'Bout This Dawg
Janet Ros with Uga I
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Uga II, 1966-72
"Ole Dan's Uga"
record: 42-16-3
Uga I
was succeeded by his son, Ole Dan's Uga at an impressive pregame
ceremony at Homecoming, 1966. With the Georgia Redcoat Band lining the
field, Uga II was led to the center of the field by Charles Seiler, son
of Sonny and Cecelia. The student body erupted in a cheer that was
picked up by the entire stadium, "Damn Good Dog!" Uga II had an
impressive reign as he watched Georgia participate in five bowl games
and win two SEC championships.
epitaph: Not Bad for A Dog
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Uga I, 1956-67
"Hood's Ole Dan"
record: 53-48-6
The current Uga line
of solid white English bulldogs began with Uga I, Hood's Ole Dan, born
Dec. 2, 1955, in Columbus. Uga I was given to Cecelia Seiler by a
friend, Frank Heard of Columbus and appeared in his first game in the
1956 home opener. As recalled by Sonny Seiler, "...his original red
jerseys were made by Cecelia. It was necessary to take up children's
t-shirts to fit the dog in the right places. There is no telling how
many of these jersey's he wore out. During the early games in Athens,
especially the hot ones before he had a dog house, the large green
hedges that surround Sanford Stadium afford welcomed shade in the heat
of battle. Unfortunately, the hedges constantly tore these jerseys and
new ones had to be made."
epitaph: Damn Good Dog
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Mike, 1951-55
Butch was succeeded by Mike, another brindled English bulldog, owned by C. L. Fain. Mike lived in the field house on campus and died of natural canine causes in 1955. As his master’s thesis, Gene Owens of Fort Worth, Texas, cast the bronze statue of Mike, which is located at the entrance of Memorial Hall.
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Butch, 1947-50
Butch was a brindled English bulldog owned by Mabry Smith of Warner Robins, Ga. He was spotted by students who were attending the 1946 Georgia-Georgia Tech game in Athens, and the canine appeared to be suited for the mascot position. Smith agreed to loan Butch to the University during the football season along with a female puppy named Tuffy. The female died of a heart attack following the Georgia-Kentucky game in 1948, but Butch continued to serve. Spending the off-season at Smith’s home in Warner Robins, Butch was tragically shot in the summer of 1951 by a policeman after the dog escaped from his pen and was found roaming the streets. Butch is buried behind Smith’s business along Watson Boulevard.
In 2004 plans for a marker honoring Butch in his hometown were put into motion by longtime Warner Robins resident Guy Fussell.
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Mr. Angel, 1944-46
Mr. Angel, a brindle and white colored English Bulldog owned by Eastman, Ga., physician, Warren Coleman, filled a void during some of the war years.
There was no mascot roaming the sidelines and Coleman took Mr. Angel to games and stood with
him on the sidelines. His picture on the field and with the Georgia cheerleaders appears in the 1945 and ’46 UGA annual, the Pandora. |
 Trilby, 1894
In 1894, Georgia’s mascot was a solid white female
bull terrier owned by a student, Charles H. Black, Sr., of Atlanta.
Trilby, named after a novel by George Du Maurier, served as the campus
pet and mascot for the Chi Phi fraternity.
Disputing stories
speculate the origin of the Bulldog nickname, and the story of Trilby
provides yet another opinion:
“...every day Trilby took herself down to
old Herty field with her master for football practice. She ran signals
with the best of them and became an accustomed figure on the athletic
field...One morning, Trilby failed to appear for her breakfast and
after a frantic search she was finally discovered proudly washing the
faces of her newborn family, 13 white puppies...Late one dusky fall
afternoon, Trilby appeared for a grid workout and scampering after her
came her 13 children, darting through players’ legs, barking and pace.
‘Well,’ suggested one of the players, ‘Trilby has brought us a name,
Bulldogs.’ ...Every time a game was played on Herty Field, the boys
would floss Trilby and her 13 offerings up with red and black ribbons,
and so attired they have gone down in history as perhaps the first
‘sponsors’ in southern football.”
—Ruth Stanton Cogill (Atlanta
newspaper)
“After the reign of Trilby and her family, chaos
developed in the mascot department at the university. Many games had
several, depending on which alumnus got his dog to the game first.”
—AJC, Nov. 18, 1962
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The Goat, Feb. 22, 1892
Georgia’s mascot for its first football game
against Auburn, February 22, 1892 in Atlanta, Ga., was a goat. Old
newspaper clippings indicate that the goat wore a black coat with red
U.G. letters on each side. He also had on a hat with ribbons all down
his high horns, and the Auburn fans yelled throughout the game “shoot
the billy-goat.”
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