Cocky first started cheering on the Gamecocks in 1980, and he’s been a beloved part of our USC family ever since!

Cocky sure knows how to make a big entrance at our football games. Before kickoff, you can find him surprising Gamecock fans as he makes his big entrance on the field out of his magic box to 2001: A Space Odyssey. The crowd goes wild, and there are always fireworks to celebrate Cocky’s debut! During the game, some of Cocky’s favorite ways to show off his school spirit are taking pictures with fans and running over to conduct the Carolina band. To top it all off, the excitement doesn’t stop there, because the football field isn’t the only place where you can see Cocky in action. He also loves to cheer on our Gamecocks at all of our sporting events — keep your eyes peeled to see him dancing on our baseball dugouts and hyping up the crowds in Colonial Life Arena!

While he’s a pretty big sports fan, you can also find him working hard in our Columbia community with Cocky’s Reading Express. During the school year, Cocky travels all around our state along with current USC students to read books to elementary school students! Right now, Cocky and his friends are still reading to South Carolina classrooms through a special virtual version of Cocky’s Reading Express.

If you can’t already tell, there’s certainly a lot to love about Cocky! He truly embodies our Gamecock spirit and knows how to put a smile on anybody’s face.

To Cocky, our favorite mascot of all time, we wish you the happiest birthday and many more to come!