The Man Behind The Mask

MASCOTS!! Blue, Blitz, and Benny the Bull. Whats with all the B's?

These are mascots we all know and enjoy being entertained by and if you're a true fan you know that they each have a trademark. Unfortunately* I've been the victim to some of these. Being "pied" in the face with shaving cream, having popcorn dumped all over me, and silly stringed until I couldn't see. But have you ever wondered "what the heck do they look like underneath that mask?!" I sure did! I had the chance to attend week 1 of NFL season as the Indianapolis Colts guest against the Seattle Seahawks. Not only did I see what these two mascots looked like underneath the mask, I was able to create content with the two of them, banter back and forth, and got to go to dinner and watch them serve food to fans of both the Colts and Seahawks in the their mascot uniforms! I wanted to know more. I wanted to get inside their brain. So I decided to make "Blue" my first #thegethiredgirl newsletter.

Trey Mock, also known as "Blue" has been the Colts Mascot since 2006. His wife of 13 years met while she Cheered for the Colts, and together they have 2 kids. Enjoy learning about his profession, salary, day to day scheduling, and most importantly.. What makes his job not boring!

What did you want to be when you were a kid?

"I wanted to be an architect. Started taking those classes in 6th grade and then followed up all the way through high school. I selected my college based on it being a good architect school. It was down between Auburn, Tennessee and Mississippi state. I fell in love with Auburn."

What was the shift for you from going into architecture to mascot?

"I went to Freshmen Orientation. They had a pep rally at the stadium and the Mascot came out (Aubie) It was the first time I had really seen a mascot who was super hilarious and athletic and was doing things that most people got arrested for. I had to figure out what this was about. That spring they had try outs! I ended up trying out and made it my sophomore year, and you can only do it for 2 years at Auburn."

Explain the program to me. What does it look like?

"It's a student lead program. it's all on us. On a time stand point, it's similar to being in the band or an athlete. It consumes every waking moment. I only did it for two years and then got recruited a semester shy of graduating to go to the Atlanta Falcons to take over their program."

What Led you to the Indianapolis Colts?

"The Atlanta falcons had a performer (mascot) who had been there for about.. 10 years? He was looking to retire and I was hired to shadow him and then eventually take over that position. After that first season he decided it wasn't his last season, so I had the opportunity to try out for the buffalo bills and did, and was there for a year. I Then decided to leave to try out for the Indianapolis Colts. Then created "Blue" for the team in 2006."

You have been with the colts since 2006?

"Yes! I created Blue. I sketched the character out, went to a production company hand picking everything out from the hair, the eyes everything!"

How does someone get into the mascot business?

"That's a great question. I think the majority of professional mascots started off as a mascot in college. That is the easiest route since you will have that experience. There are very few professional teams now a days that say "do you have the skill set outside of the being a mascot?" it really is all about that experience. If you're in high school or college, seek out those opportunities there! Sports is a tough thing to crack into because people want to be a part of it."

What is the most un conventional thing about your job?

"Oh boy! Everything! *he said laughing* Here I am at 43 years old as a pretend stuffed animal! I have a lot of passion for my job. My passion is giving people the opportunity to smile and to laugh and to feel joy."

What is the biggest challenge being a mascot?

"I think the biggest challenge with being a mascot in general is communicating! I can't talk! figuring out how to have this exchange of emotion and to get somebody to feel what you're trying to convey without that."

How does your job bring you joy?

" I think when I hear from people that "Blue is my favorite part of game day" and I hear from adults that they are now bringing their kids to games because it has gone from a date night to a whole family event because I've bridged that gap. Being able to impact kids and connect with people. Knowing that I'm making an impact. Its pretty cool."

Tell me about what a normal schedule looks like for you?

"A normal schedule is NEVER having a normal schedule. We do about 500 appearances a year. Its not a Monday - Friday kind of job. We do a lot of events on the weekends, especially with games. It also depends on the mascot but content is such a big thing for us so we're planning out 2-4 weeks in advance with content. We are responding to emails all the time, setting up appearances and it changes everyday!"

I think everyone is intrigued to know what the salary looks like for a mascot? Can you educate us on that?

"It varies. definitely varies. In the NFL theres 32 teams and there are only 14 full time programs (mascots). It ranges from Salary, hourly, to paying someone to just hop in the costume. I would say a standard pay for a professional team starting off is $35k as your first job with a lot of opportunity to grow. You could make commission on appearances for many of the programs. I will say that the sky is the limit with how much of an impact you're making for your organization. "

How long does one person mascot for?

"Part time programs in the NFL could have 2-6 performers and they do it seasonally. You're probably looking at 3-4 years in a part time program. With my job and my situation guys would normally go 15-20 years. I think thats becoming less of a thing. The Kansas city chiefs mascot has been at it for 34 years now. This is my 18th season in the NFL."

What makes your job not boring?

"Every day is different, and for the most part, I get to control that. Also, I get to make people laugh!"

What do you think? Do you like being able to see what the man behind the mask looks like? Or does it take away that element of imagination for you? In my personal opinion, I love being able to know who is underneath the mask, and I'm thankful for Trey allowing us to be a part of it with him. Blue most certainly embodies my 2022 motto of "don't be boring"!

Do you have a bizarre job? Interested in highlighting what you do for a living? Message me on LinkedIn or shoot me an email! Let's give you a spotlight!

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