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Claude Lewis: It came about... The original dog had asthma, I believe it was, and they were going to retire the dog.
And a bunch of fraturnity brothers and I went down to Daytona Beach that previous spring.
for our spring break. And we went to the brand new amusment park at the time, called "Disney World," because it just opened.
I think I got the idea just seeing all the characters... and they were retiring Rocky. I spoke to someone at the Union,
probably the activities director. And came up with the idea of having a human mascot.
And they thought it was a good idea. And they went down and had the costume made down in Florida.
At the place that made all the Disney customs at the time. And on October 6, Rocky was born.
The powers that be at the time were a little conservative, and I was probably having a little too much fun out on the field.
I know they gave me after the first weekend, the first football game it was terribly hot.
And the second one they actually gave me a golf cart to drive around the football track or the track.
And apparently they didn't like the way I handled the golf cart. I think I put it up on a couple of wheels a couple times.
Which was a little reckless. So they asked if they could ask someone else to be the mascot. I retired after a sort stint.