Notre Dame Leprechaun
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The Leprechaun | |
---|---|
Team | Fighting Irish |
University | University of Notre Dame |
Conference | Independent ACC |
Description | Irish leprechaun with his fists up |
Origin of name | Irish heritage |
First seen | 1960 |
Website | Official website |
The Notre Dame
The Leprechaun was featured in the cover of TIME magazine in November 1964.[2]
Irish tradition
The Fighting Irish logo features a side view of The Leprechaun with his fists up, ready to battle anyone that comes his way. The live version is a student, chosen annually at tryouts, dressed in a
The Leprechaun was not always the official mascot of Notre Dame. For years, the team was represented by a series of
The Leprechaun was named the official mascot in 1965,[3] when the Leprechaun was registered as an official university mark. However, earlier, in 1961, John Brandt from Elyria, Ohio became the first man to don the uniform and appear with Clashmore Mike at a home game against Oklahoma. Brandt served as the Leprechaun until 1963.
Campus figure
The Leprechaun can be seen around campus on football game weekends as he or she acts as the MC of Friday night pep rallies and makes several appearances at tailgates before games. During games, he or she leads the traditional cheers of the student section, who are named "The Leprechaun Legion."
Along with the cheerleaders, The Leprechaun also travels with the team as the Fighting Irish travel across the nation. He or she engages in several community service initiatives and makes public appearances.
Tryouts
Tryouts to become The Leprechaun take place over a monthlong process each spring. Prospect leprechauns are presented with several mental and physical challenges until the field is narrowed down to under ten finalists. During the final round of tryouts, each contestant must lead a 5-minute mock pep rally, answer questions during an interview with a local media personality, respond to a game situation, answer Notre Dame trivia, dance Notre Dame's version of the Irish Jig, and complete 50 pushups. A panel of judges then interviews each candidate in private before making the final decision.
Despite popular belief, there are no strict requirements for becoming the leprechaun. Notre Dame students of any height are eligible to try out regardless of their ability to grow a beard. The overall "look" of candidates does weigh into the decision, however, and more often than not a young man with a chinstrap beard will be chosen.
References
- ^ "Ted Drake, 92, Creator of Notre Dame Logo". The New York Times. Associated Press. 30 May 2000. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ "Notre Dame Coach Ara Parseghian". TIME. 20 November 1964. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ^ University of Notre Dame Traditions Archived 2007-12-01 at the Wayback Machine at CSTV.com