Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Nebraska: Lil Red & Herbie Husker

Lil' Red is the newest mascot of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's sports teams. Lil' Red can be seen dancing on the sidelines of a Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium or at the Bob Devaney Sports Center during basketball games. ESPN college football commentator Kirk Herbstreit states that Lil' Red is his favorite mascot. Lil' Red is a crowd favorite, and his trick of bouncing on his head is welcomed by all spectators at sporting events.
Lil' Red is known as one of the first in sports mascot inflatable characters. He was created by a company called Signs and Shapes out of Omaha, Nebraska just up the road from the University of Nebraska's home in Lincoln.
Herbie Husker is the oldest current mascot of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's sports teams. Herbie was created by Lubbock, Texas, artist Dirk West and first appeared on the cover of the Husker's media guide in 1974. Soon after, he became the university's official mascot.
Herbie has gone through a few makeovers, the most recent coming before the 2003 college football season. Until 2003 he was dressed in denim coveralls, a red cowboy hat emblazoned with a large N, and has an ear of corn in his pocket. After the 2003 makeover, he now dons a red cowboy hat, red workshirt, blue jeans and workboots. This was done to update the overall appearance of the state's agricultural workers and general public. During halftime of the 2006 Capital One Bowl, Herbie was named National Mascot of the year for 2005.


Lil' Red is one of two mascot at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's athletics teams. Lil' Red is the newest mascot being created for the 1993 season to appeal younger Husker fans and Nebraska Women’s Volleyball by Dr. Barbara Hibner after a state wide contest. He can be seen on the sidelines of a Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center during basketball games and volleyball games.Lil' Red has won two major awards with the first won being the national championship at the NCA National Mascot Competition in 1999. The second one was an introduction into the 2007 Mascot Hall of Fame, which selected its winners by an online vote. Nebraska’s mascots are two of the most popular figures around the community, as well as the state, and the pair usually generate quite a bit of energy wherever they appear.

No comments:

Post a Comment