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{{Infobox College Mascot| name = HokieBird| image = Hokiebird.jpg| image_size = 200| caption = HokieBird runs onto the field with Virginia Tech Cheerleaders| university = Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University| conference = Atlantic Coast Conference| conference_short = ACC| description = [[Anthropomorphic]] [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]]-like bird| name_origin =| first_seen = 1962| related_mascots = [[Fighting Gobblers|Fighting Gobbler]]| official_website = [http://www.hokiesports.com/hokiebird/about.html HokieBird]}}The '''HokieBird''' is the official mascot of [[Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University|Virginia Tech]]. It has been named as one of the top college football mascots in the United States,<ref>{{cite news |last=Fiutak |first=Pete |title=College Football's official Top 25 Mascots |url=http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/College-Football%27s-Top-25-Mascots |date=2007-09-04}}</ref> and spawned a series of children's books featuring college and pro sports mascots, including Hello, [[HokieBird]], published by [[Mascot Books]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kelly |first=Morgan |title=Series of mascotbooks began in ride from game |url=http://www. mywire.com/pubs/USATODAY/2006/09/01/1789992?extID=10051 |date=2006-09-01}}</ref> ==HistoryGobblers==Fans of Virginia Tech athletics have referred to the teams by the nickname '''Fighting Gobblers''' since the early 20th century. According the Virginia Tech university relations, the name originated in 1909, when football Coach Branch Bocock initiated his players into the "Gobbler Club", a name which appeared in print that same year.<ref>{{cite web |title= Hokie, Hokie, Hokie Hy! and a Few Other Virginia Tech Symbols and Traditions |url=http://www.vt.edu/about/traditions.pdf |publisher=University Relations, Virginia Tech |year=2006}}</ref> Another popular legend regarding the origin of the "Gobblers" moniker refers to when the university was a military college known as the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (VAMC). As future military officers and gentlemen, cadets were not allowed to look at their plates as they ate. To do so was termed "gobbling" your food and was a cause for punishment. Athletes were given increased portions of food and in consideration of the limited meal time, were allowed to "gobble" their meals. Because of this, the sports teams for VAMC became known as "The original mascotGobblers".{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Regardless of the true origin, an actual turkey trained the "Gobbler" nickname had already been popularized by 1913 when local resident and VPI employee Floyd Meadetrained a large turkey to perform various stunts, first appeared including pulling him in 1913a decorated cart before a football game. Meade and later William Byrd Price other mascots to follow continued to bring turkeys to football having a live turkey on the sidelines of games until 1953into the 1950s.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is a Hokie? |url=http://www.vt.edu/about/hokie. Mercer MacPherson purchased and wore html}}</ref> ==Fighting Gobblers==The first permanent costumed Gobbler took the field in the first fall of 1962, when a civil engineering student raised $200 to create a costume which had a head resembling a cardinal and included real turkey feathers dyed in 1962school colors. The long This mascot debuted at the then-necked HokieBird annual Thanksgiving Day football game between military school rivals VPI and VMI. This costume debuted was modified in 1971. In 1982to include a long neck, making it more than seven feet tall, and the costume name was changed againto the "Fighting Gobbler". ==HokieBird==In reaction to the earlier myths about students "gobbling" their meals, this time to football coach and athletic director [[Bill Dooley]] spearheaded a campaign for a shorter versionnew look and name for the mascot, which some disliked for not looking much debuted at the 1981 football game against Wake Forest. The turkey-like figure was referred to as "the Hokie mascot," "the Hokie," and "the Hokie bird" (derived from the "[[Old Hokie]]" cheer), which resulted in changing the official designation of the Virginia Tech mascot to the '''Hokies'''. The costume worn by today's HokieBird made its first appearance in 1987, when [[Frank Beamer]] returned as coach. Although he reinstated the Gobbler to the football team's scoreboard, by then the Hokies nickname had already become the most prominent. The current HokieBird debuted at that season's home opener against Clemson, arriving in a turkeywhite limousine. HokieBird [[Curtis Dvorak]] (1995-96) won the [[National Cheerleading Association]] championship in 1996 and has appeared as [[Jaxson de Ville]], mascot of the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]] since 1996. Todd Maroldo, Hokiebird in 1996-1997, won the National Cheerleading Association championship in 1997 and was hired as the [[Carolina Panthers]] mascot, [[Sir Purr]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Hokie Birds prowl as cats|url=http://www.hokiesportsvtmagazine.vt.comedu/hokiebirdspring99/aboutshorts.html|work=Spring, 1999|publisher=Virginia Tech Alumni Association|accessdate=13 July 2012}}</ref> HokieBird has been so popular that the mascot landed an appearance on Animal Planet's "Turkey Secrets," shown annually around [[Thanksgiving]]. Now, when referring to Virginia Tech, the term "Hokie" generally refers to a Virginia Tech Student. ==Traditions==[[Image:Hokie bird bench press.jpg|thumb|right|HokieBird bench presses the score in the endzone]]*The HokieBirdis an active supporter of all Virginia Tech athletic teams, particularly the Virginia Tech Football and Basketball Teams.*Before football games, he leads the charge onto the field as students jump up and down in the stands to [[Metallica]]'s current incarnation debuted "[[Enter Sandman]]".*After scores in 1987 football, the VT [[Cheerleading|cheerleaders]] carry out a bench and weights for the HokieBird to perform [[bench press]]es. He does one press for every point VT has scored. Sometimes, in lieu of bench presses, the HokieBird has done situps or pushups.*The HokieBird has also been known to crowd surf from the bottom of the [[student section]] all the way to the top of the stadium.*At the graduation ceremony, students who portrayed the HokieBird are allowed to wear the giant orange bird feet. In theory, no one is supposed to know who the Football season opener against ClemsonHokieBirds are until graduation day. ==See also==*[[Virginia Tech Hokies]]
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