ATHENS, Ga. – The interim tag has been lifted.
“Russ,” the 8-year-old half-brother of Uga VII, was introduced before Saturday night’s game against Florida Atlantic as Georgia’s official mascot. Georgia’s continuous line of English Bulldog mascots extends 56 years, and Bulldogs coach Mark Richt quickly learned of its significance about a decade ago when on a trip to Washington, D.C., with university president Michael Adams and former athletic director Vince Dooley.
“When we got there, there were lines forming to take pictures with me and Coach Dooley and President Adams,” Richt said. “There was a massive crowd around Uga. It was 10-to-1, all of us put together versus Uga. Uga is big. He’s been on the cover of Sports Illustrated.”
Russ served as the interim mascot after the death of Uga VII in November 2009, filling in for the final two games of that season and the first six of the 2010 season. Uga VIII took over in the middle of the ’10 season, but Russ was needed again when an illness prevented Uga VIII from attending the 2010 Liberty Bowl.
Uga VIII died in February 2011, and Russ remained interim mascot for all of last season.