Uga (mascot) - Genealogy of Uga Namesakes

Genealogy of Uga Namesakes

• Uga I ("Hood's Ole Dan", 1956–66) – Started the Uga mascot line. Was a grandson of a bulldog that accompanied the Georgia football team to its Rose Bowl victory. Won one Southeastern Conference football title (1959). Sanford Stadium Epitaph: Damn Good Dog
• Uga II ("Ole Dan's Uga", 1966–72) – Won two SEC football titles (1966, 1968) and one national title (1968 Litkenhaus poll). Epitaph: Not Bad for a Dog
• Uga III ("Seiler's Uga Three", 1972–81) – Won two SEC titles (1976, 1980) and one consensus national title (1980). Epitaph: How 'Bout This Dawg
• Uga IV ("Seiler's Uga Four", 1981–90) – Won two SEC championships (1981, 1982). He was the first live mascot ever invited to a Heisman trophy presentation in 1982, and accompanied Herschel Walker to the Downtown Athletic Club wearing a custom-made tuxedo. Epitaph: The Dog of the Decade
• Uga V ("Uga IV's Magillicuddy II", 1990–99) – Named in honor of Dan Magill, longtime Georgia tennis coach and Sports Information Director, and in honor of Magillicuddy I, who served as interim mascot for one game after Uga IV's death. He portrayed his father, Uga IV, in the motion picture Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and was pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1997. In 1996, he famously lunged at Auburn wide receiver Robert Baker after he scored a touchdown. The pictures and video of this incident have been widely circulated as a symbol of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Epitaph: "Nation's Best College Mascot" – Sports Illustrated
• Uga VI ("Uga V's Whatchagot Loran", 1999–2008) – Won two SEC championships (2002, 2005), two Sugar Bowls (2003, 2008), and had more than 20 victories over ranked opponents, the most of any Uga to date. He was named in honor of Loran Smith, longtime Georgia football sideline reporter and past president of the Georgia Bulldog Club (During football games, when former radio announcer Larry Munson called on Smith for a sideline report, he would say "Loran, whadda ya got?"). He was the largest at 65 pounds, and has the best winning percentage and most wins as well. He died of congestive heart failure on June 27, 2008. Epitaph: A Big Dog For A Big Job, And He Handled It Well
• Uga VII ("Loran's Best", 2008–09) – Also named in honor of Loran Smith. His tenure ended abruptly near the end of his second season when he died of heart failure on November 19, 2009. Epitaph: Gone Too Soon
• Uga VIII ("Big Bad Bruce", 2010–11) – Named in honor of University of Georgia veterinarian Dr. Bruce Hollett. He was introduced at the October 16, 2010, homecoming game against Vanderbilt. On January 7, 2011, UGA officials announced that Uga VIII had been diagnosed with canine lymphoma, which led to his death on February 4, 2011. Epitaph: He Never Had A Chance
• Uga IX ("Russ", 2012–present; interim mascot, 2009-12) – After the death of Uga VII, his five-year-old half-brother, Russ, was selected as interim mascot for the final two games of the 2009 season. He continued as interim mascot for the first six games of the 2010 season and participated in a "passing of the collar" ceremony for Uga VIII before the Homecoming game against Vanderbilt. Less than two months later, Russ was once again called on to serve at the 2010 AutoZone Liberty Bowl, due to a then-unspecified illness suffered by Uga VIII (later revealed to be canine lymphoma). After the death of Uga VIII five weeks later, it was announced that Russ would continue as interim mascot indefinitely. Russ served during the entire 2011 season as interim mascot, and UGA Director of Athletics Greg McGarity announced on August 30, 2012 that Russ received a "battlefield promotion" and would assume the title of Uga IX. The official ceremony was conducted prior to the Georgia vs. Florida Atlantic home football game on Saturday, September 15, 2012.