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>> GAME DAY AT KINNICK STADIUM.
MINUTES FROM KICKOFF, ONE KEY
FIGURE CARRIES THE HOPES OF THE
HAWKEYE NATION ON HIS SHOULDER
PADS.
WHEN THE HERO EMERGES FROM THE
TUNNEL, 70,000 FANS ERUPT FOR
THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA'S BIGGEST
CELEBRITY.
TO MILLIONS OF HAWKEYE FANS,
HERKY IS A FAMILIAR SIGHT.
BUT BEHIND THE GAME-DAY HEROICS
ARE AN ELITE GROUP OF STUDENTS
WHO TAKE IOWA'S MASCOT TRADITION
VERY SERIOUSLY.
>> HERKY'S KIND OF A COMICAL,
EASYGOING TYPE OF MASCOT.
AND SO HE LIKES TO PLAY TRICKS
ON PEOPLE OR, YOU KNOW, JUST
HAVE A GOOD TIME, SIT BY
SOMEONE, JOKE AROUND WITH THEM.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE
INTERACTION WITH THE
CHEERLEADERS.
WE'LL DO SOME STUNTS, AND WE'LL
ACTUALLY GET HERKY UP IN THE
AIR, WHICH IS ALWAYS A GOOD
TIME.
>> LIKE, THE CHEERLEADERS CAN
GET EVERYONE EXCITED, BUT ONCE
EVERYONE SEES HERKY, THAT'S WHEN
EVERYONE REALLY STARTS TO GET
GOING AND REALIZE IT'S GAME DAY
AND IT'S TIME TO GET GOING.
[ CROWD CHEERING ]
>> IT'S REALLY JUST AMAZING HOW
HERKY CAN GET UP ON THE BOARD
AND MAKE 3,000 STUDENTS IN THE
STUDENT SECTION JUST SCREAM AND
DO EXACTLY WHAT HE DOES.
IT'S A RUSH, AND IT'S REALLY FUN
TO WATCH.
[ CROWD CHEERING ]
>> WHEN YOU'RE IN SUIT, IT'S
KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE A SUPERHERO.
ALL THE FANS KNOW YOU AS HERKY,
AND EVERYBODY KNOWS YOU.
BUT THEN, WHEN YOU TAKE OFF THE
SUIT, YOU'RE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER
PERSON, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE
OF THE COOLEST THINGS.
>> CONCEALING HERKY'S TRUE
IDENTITY IS KEY TO PRESERVING
THE MYSTIQUE OF THE UNIVERSITY'S
MOST RECOGNIZABLE PUBLIC FIGURE.
>> THE REASON WE KIND OF PROTECT
THOSE THAT ARE PLAYING HERKY IS
HERKY IS A SYMBOL OF THE
UNIVERSITY AND COVERS ALL AND
DOES ALL FOR THE UNIVERSITY.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS
THAT ARE PLAYING HERKY BUT THE
ACTUAL MASCOT ITSELF THAT'S AT
EVENTS.
>> SEVERAL DIFFERENT STUDENTS
PLAY HERKY, BUT THEY ALL BECOME
THE SAME CHARACTER COME GAME
TIME.
>> ONCE YOU'RE IN SUIT, YOU'RE
NO LONGER YOU.
YOU'RE HERKY.
SO IT CHANGES EVERYTHING.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE
SUIT COMES OFF, IT'S BACK TO THE
NORMAL PERSON.
IT'S JUST A WHOLE DIFFERENT
WORLD.
>> IT'S NOT REALLY LIKE I'M
INTERACTING WITH THEM AT ALL.
IT'S HERKY INTERACTING, AND IT'S
DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT PERSON
ONCE YOU'RE IN SUIT.
>> WHILE A DIVERSE GROUP HANDLES
THE ROLE OF THIS MASCOT,
IOWA'S SPIRIT COORDINATOR KNOWS
IT TAKES A SPECIAL PERSON TO
BECOME HERKY.
>> I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF
IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS TO
BEING HERKY.
I THINK CREATIVITY AND ENERGY
ARE PROBABLY THE TWO MOST
IMPORTANT ONES.
[ CROWD CHEERING ]
>> MY MOST CHALLENGING THING IS
TO ALWAYS JUST CONTINUE TO FIND
DIFFERENT, NEW, ORIGINAL THINGS
THAT ARE GONNA MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH
AND MAKE PEOPLE JUST HAPPY TO
SEE HERKY.
>> AT EVERY GAME, HERKY CAN BE
FOUND CHEERING ON THE HAWKEYES
AND KEEPING FANS ENTERTAINED.
BUT BEHIND THE HELMET IS A
HARD-WORKING STUDENT CARRYING ON
A SACRED TRADITION.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT ASSUME
THAT HERKY IS JUST A GUY IN A
SUIT.
BUT THAT'S NOT TRUE.
HERKY REALLY IS A BIRD WHO LOVES
THE IOWA HAWKEYES.
[ CROWD CHEERING ]
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com