I was a yell leader my sophomore and junior years. This is when the idea for Addy the Frog was born. Jimmy Paschal was the originator of Addy. He was the first. Jimmy is no longer with us, but Addy will stay with TCU forever.
Bernie T. Robertson ’52

The most memorable game for me was against the Aggies on Oct. 20, 1956, which ended A&M 7, TCU 6, refs 12.  We went to Aggieland knowing that we had the chance to win the SWC outright if we could beat them, and we wanted to overcome the loss in the fall of ’56 at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Early in the game winds began to blow and it began to rain. The wind howled through my “papier-mâché” head and sounded like a freight train. Tornadic winds and driving rain stopped play, soaked everyone and seemed to have blinded the refs — for at least two touchdowns were denied to the Frogs. The first was Ken Wineburger and then Jim Swink; both were called down short of the end zone. They seemed wrong to me and at the time I was nearly on the goal line. The purple crowd was convinced that the linemen’s glasses were covered in rain and mud, or perhaps they were suffering from Aggie-itis. Anyway, the game was stopped for a while in the middle, and later we learned that the winds were up to 90 miles an hour or so and a tornado warning had been issued.
We ended the year going to the Cotton Bowl, where we played the Syracuse Orangemen, with the great Jim Brown, but on national television the Frogs beat Syracuse 28 to 27. The celebration was on!
Ben Sturgeon ’59

In the fall of 1967, the TCU mascot was Addy the Frog, aka Alicia Golson ’69. At the beginning of each football game and on those occasions when TCU scored, Addy was pulled into and around the stadium in a Roman-styled chariot. During the football season, Chuck Langeness ’70 came up with the idea for members of our fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, to pull Addy in her chariot from Daniel-Meyer Coliseum to the Cotton Bowl the evening preceding the SMU game. And so we did. It was a long, cold night but we arrived in time and Addie made a grand entrance into the Cotton Bowl just before the opening kickoff.
Douglas J. Dalrymple ’69

I was Addy for two years, 1976-1978. The first year I tried out on the steps of the Student Center playing the fight song on a kazoo while I did the routine. One Homecoming we played UT. It snowed and they plowed the field. There were few fans and we were losing badly so the fans used the frog head as a snowball target while I wore it.
I still have the suit (minus the head) and still fit into it.
Gretchen Gazlay Biery ’78

I created SuperFrog in 1979. I had the costume designed and was the first to wear it at a season kickoff function at Will Rogers. I selected Al Nail as the first SuperFrog. Al lasted one game and was replaced by Chris Curtis and then Mike McCord. Recently, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame requested SuperFrog’s costume to put on display.
John Grace ’72

Were you aware that the introduction of SuperFrog to the entire world was almost a catastrophic event?  In the fall of 1979, John Grace [sports promotion director] came up with the idea of creating a crowd-interacting mascot patterned to some degree after the now-famous San Diego Chicken. Of course, such a bold new mascot should have an introduction befitting such an occasion. So John contacted KVIL-FM and arranged for them to bring SuperFrog in on the KVILicopter, land on the quadrangle, and have SuperFrog make his rounds among those present, with KVIL carrying the entire event live on the radio.
I had the distinct privilege, and clearly my only claim to fame even now, of being the first SuperFrog. Initially, I actually shared the job with Al Nail ’82, but I was fortunate enough to get the call to be in costume on the day of introduction. As we landed, the pilot reminded me to keep my head down until I cleared the rotors, and then I could go as I wild as I wanted. Well, the excitement overtook me and one step out of the helicopter I leapt in the air with arms stretched high. I later learned that I was centimeters from the blades with my outstretched hands. Fortunately, due to a lack of physical capability and maybe a little credit to the weight of the suit, I was just under the blades and the day was a great success.
Mike McCord ’80

After beating Rice (I think that’s who it was) in a night game, a couple of the football players picked me up on their shoulders and carried me around the field. We happened to get near Coach Wacker and I reached over and rubbed his head. Even though we had just won the game he was not very happy that SuperFrog had just messed up his hair and he let me know it. I don’t think anyone to this day knew coach was mad at SuperFrog for messing up his comb over! It had been 19 years since TCU played in a bowl game when we played in the Bluebonnet Bowl against West Virginia. Before the team came out on the field I ran down the tunnel and right out to the 50-yard line. I will never forget how loud the TCU section became. I knew this was a special moment for so many of the fans because so many of them had not witnessed TCU in a bowl game.
Tommy Crouch ’87  

At a game at Rice, I committed two cardinal sins of mascoting. First, I went into the stands at an opposing team’s stadium. There was a big TCU crowd, so I went into the crowd near a section of kids. Next thing I know they’ve got me on the ground and are tugging at my horns and shirt. I could hear one of the horns on my head being pulled off. I managed to get to my feet, shake the kids off me and committed sin #2: I talked. Actually, I yelled, “Get the heck off of me,” only I didn’t say heck! The kids sat there stunned. As I walked back down the aisle to the field, this lady who had heard the whole thing said, “Boo SuperFrog!
William Hatfield ’93

My best SuperFrog moment was being on the field for our win vs. Texas in 1992. Frogs won 23-14! I was hanging on the goalpost celebrating. Although we didn’t win many that year, that was a great moment. Rah Rah TCU!”
Brian McCormick ’94

I was SuperFrog for three years. I was there in 1997 when we beat SMU — and it was the only win all season! I got to crowd surf and was on the field when the students rushed. I also got to go to Hawaii with the team and was the first to wear the [redesigned] suit.
Amy Shackelford Curry ’00

While wearing the suit in Amon Carter was always special, my most memorable was at the University of Louisville. As we entered the stadium, the UL fans were all glowing and just knew they had won before kick-off. As the rain came down we gave them a good ole TCU beating and I ran over to the UL student section with our 30-foot flag and they went nuts. All I saw were cups, programs and other objects being hurled towards me. It was wonderful!
I unfortunately will never forget some of the heartbreaking losses that came as well. My last regular season game as SuperFrog was when we played the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. We were undefeated at the time and had lots of national coverage. It was widely believed that if we won that game we would be the first team from a non-BCS conference to go to a BCS Bowl Game. In the end we did not pull out with the victory and even as I write this the tears are fighting their way to my eyes. It was truly heartbreaking and indeed a character-building moment in my life.
Nicholas Breaux ’03

I was an athletic training student while in school. During a road trip with the football team to San Jose State, we were unloading the equipment truck. One of the other athletic training students came out of the back of the truck with the SuperFrog head on. He scared one of the other students and I dropped everything I was carrying because I was laughing so hard. I just didn’t expect to see SuperFrog unloading the truck.
Cody Jenschke ’05

I remember feeling adventurous during a home game at Amon G. Carter one evening. I was suited up as SuperFrog in my white spinner shoes and decided to visit the student section for a little fun. Crowd surfing momentarily seemed like a good idea. All of two people lifted, which ultimately led to me flipping onto my head rather than surfing! Luckily for me, SF is equipped with a helmet and mattress-thick padding. I sprung to my feet, shook it off and hit on a couple of TCU Showgirls.
Adam Hepworth ’06

I was SuperFrog from Spring 2005 until I graduated in May 2008. I am now a graduate student here at TCU in the psychology department and I am the only person in Texas who will ever drive with the moniker “SPRFRG” on my license plate.
Sean P. Peterson ’08

I have been SuperFrog since 2008. I once did an entire football game in Utah with a sprained ankle. The football trainers had to tape me up before the game like one of the players.  One time I did an appearance at Cook Children’s Medical Center during Christmas with Santa Claus. After meeting with the kids I decided to go to the rooms of several of the kids that could not attend the party. It was amazing to see how their faces lit up when I entered the room, no matter what their situation was. Later, I found out that the kids liked having me there more than Santa. That really meant a lot, and I will continue to go to the hospital whenever I have the chance.
Mike Moro, student­  

On the Web:
See an online history of our mascot at www.lib.tcu.edu/Spcoll/SuperFrog/Addie.htm.

Email us:
Share your mascot stories or comment on these recollections at tcumagazine@tcu.edu.