After six years of concealment, the new Colonel Tillou will make his debut at Welcome Back Day Thursday in the Quad. In a private interview, the unidentified mascot revealed in-depth the story of the man behind the costume.
Q: Where have you been, Tillou?
A: I’ve been in the gym and underground without the sun for a little while. And that’s why I have gray skin.
Q: Why so serious?
A: Have you seen my face? I’m not serious at all. I have a smile on my face at all times.
Q: Can you put down the sword then?
A: I think it looks cool. I like the sword. It’s Velcro. It’s not going to hurt anybody.
Q: What do you think about your new makeover?
A: I love it. I think once they see the actual costume, they’re going to like it a little better. Everyone says it looks like a Nazi, but the parking decal doesn’t look anything like the mascot. The mascot looks happy. It doesn’t look like he wants to kill people.
Q: Are you excited for your debut?
A: Definitely. I think people are going to like it. I think it’s going to be fun.
Q: When you were a kid, did you want to be a mascot?
A: I wasn’t fantasizing about being a mascot because I thought mascots were real. I sort of grew out of it.
Q: What kind of mascot experience do you have?
A: I was actually a mascot before this for the New Orleans Voodoo football team. I was MoJo for two years until they disbanded because there was no more AFL anymore. I got laid off because of the economy. I was 15 when I first started.
Q: Why do you like being a mascot?
A: I like being an asshole. I like to make fun of people in a nice fashion.
Q: How do you make fun of people as a mascot? I thought mascots were nice to kids.
A: They are nice to kids. But they’re also stupid and goofy. Think of some the best mascots you know. They like to have fun.
Q: How do you deal with being in that costume for so long?
A: Drink a lot of Gatorade before and after you’re done. They give you ice packs, but it’s more heavy than cold so I don’t like to wear them. Just take a lot of breaks. Get out there every 30 or 40 minutes and take a 20 minute break.
Q: Do you like sports at all?
A: I love sports. I love watching it; I love playing. If you watch the video, I’m actually dribbling a basketball inside the costume. If I was good enough, I would love to be on the field. But since I’m not, I’ve settled for the sidelines.
Q: How long does it take you to get in costume?
A: Fifteen or 20 minutes. The shoes are a pain. You have to put your own shoe in it, then you have to buckle it down and then you have to Velcro it around. I’m not going to be wearing the same thing all the time. I’m going to change up the costume.
Q: Do you perform with the cheerleaders?
A: If they want me to, that would be great because I love looking at cheerleaders. I can get my boogie on, yes I can. I can do the soldier boy.
Q: Do you ever get offended when people start complaining about the mascot?
A: Personally? I find it kind of funny. One of my friends saw the video the other day and said that the mascot sucks, and he doesn’t know I’m the mascot. I thought it was pretty funny. But I know once he sees the mascot, he’ll realize he’s not so bad.
