Xavier Seniors Leave Lasting Mascot Legacy

Jun 16, 2023

The Cintas Center is rocking. Ten-thousand strong rise to their feet as jets of fire blaze – the pre-game hype video blares from the display screen speakers.

And then he makes his entrance.

Accompanied by the Xavier Cheer Team, D’Artagnan storms out of the tunnel carrying a massive Xavier flag. He stops at mid-court, waves the flag around in a circular motion, then swiftly returns to the entrance as the Musketeers prepare to take the court.

“That flag is really heavy,” Xavier student Hank Barron said with a laugh.   

If anyone would know about D’Artagnan’s signature flag, it would be Barron. Barron is one of 11 Xavier students who formed this year’s iteration of the Xavier Mascot Team – the group responsible for bringing D’Artagnan and the Blue Blob to life at sporting events and university celebrations.

Much like the characters they portray, the Xavier Mascot Team remains something of a mystery. Mascots are bound to a code of silence when they perform, so the students who portray the mascots rarely receive public recognition for their work despite being wildly popular at events and home games.

That anonymous nature of their work is one of the reasons Xavier Assistant Cheer Coach Kelsey Bezerra said the Mascot Team formed a strong, almost family-like bond.

“It’s kind of a little secret society,” said Bezerra, whose role with Xavier athletics resembles something mascot coach or coordinator. “No one knows who is inside the suits. I admire how they take their roles seriously and feel strongly about how the mascots are portrayed.”
 
Bezerra said the students who portray the mascots deserve all the credit for organizing and running the operation. At the beginning of each season, Mascot Team members divide the games among themselves by seniority to determine which students will be assigned to perform at each game. The students then work together throughout the year to make sure each student can fulfill their assigned obligation, covering for one another in the event of an unexpected absence.

“The Mascot Team is much like a family,” said Emma Weiss, a graduating senior who performed on the Mascot Team for all four of her years at Xavier. “Being a mascot is such a special thing, and you form close bonds with the other mascots. We do team bonding events to bring everyone together. We all help each other out.”

Barron is a 6’2” senior best known among the team for his work portraying D’Artagnan. Barron joined the Mascot Team during his second year at Xavier after performing as a high school mascot for Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina.

Barron knew he wanted to continue as a mascot at Xavier, so he spoke with people familiar with the mascot program at Xavier and learned as much as he could to prepare for his opportunity.

As D’Artagnan, Barron would be required to perform the Musketeer’s signature flag-waving run at Cintas Center home games. He enlisted the help of his high school conditioning coach to make sure he would be able to carry the heavy flag throughout the duration of a 2:30 minute routine.

“I spent the whole summer training myself so I can run with the flag,” Barron said. “I ran with a weighted flagpole over and over again. It’s a bit crazy preparing that much, but it worked for me.”

After making the team, Barron relied upon his experience as a high school mascot to learn how to portray D’Artagnan. Barron and the other members of the Mascot Team remain in constant communication as they talk among themselves about the intricacies of each character. From learning how to walk, move their hands and react to their environments, the seniors on the Mascot Team pass along knowledge and share feedback with the lesser experienced team members to ensure each mascot looks and acts the same, regardless of who is in the suit.

“D’Artagnan – he is cocky, arrogant and very selfish,” Barron said. “He would do anything to help Xavier win at any point in time. That’s the character I play when I’m in the costume.”

As an assistant cheer coach, Bezerra said Barron brought new life to the program and served as a great role model to the newer members of the Mascot Team.

“I can always tell when it’s (Hank Barron) in there,” she said with a laugh. “He’s just so fun in the suit and he has a certain style he brings as a mascot. He is just so proud to be a mascot. He’s been an awesome part of our team these past years and it’s been great having him train the younger mascots. We’re really going to miss him.”

Xavier is one of only a few of major colleges and universities in the country to have two primary mascots. The Blue Blob and D’Artagnan work in concert with one another to represent the University at sporting events and University-sponsored celebrations.

Bezerra characterized the Blue Blob as ‘more fun and family-centered’ while D’Artagnan ‘represents the fight in the University.’ Whether it’s D’Artagnan helping the Blue Blob up after a roll or the two hyping each other up during the game, the Mascot Team takes great care into communicating the friendly relationship between the two.

Just like the friendship between the Blue Blob and D’Artagnan, the Mascot Team takes pride in how they support one another. Four of the 11 mascot graduated this past May, leaving a few spots open for next year’s first-year students to step up and continue the legacy.

Barron said he plans on continuing mascot after graduation. He lined up an opportunity to work as a mascot in a rotational role with the Cincinnati Reds.

He and the other graduating seniors believe the mascots will be in good hands as the next wave of Xavier students are well prepared to carry the flag.

Chike Erokwu
Senior Creative Content Producer
Xavier University Office of Marketing and Communications