Here Uga V stands on the front porch of his Savannah home.
DAWG of the People
Perhaps no mascot has ever enjoyed the exposure and popularity of the University's own Uga V. UGAzine sent Richie Jones to Uga V's Savannah home for a day to find out what makes this top dawg tick.
Here Uga V stands on the front porch of his Savannah home.
|
|
e enjoys the simple things: a long Sunday drive, a summer boat ride, ice cream and, every now and then, a trip to Athens. He doesn't drink, hates cigarettes and does a lot of charity work. He is a dog of the people, taking on fame and notoriety beyond that of his beloved ancestors. His registered name: Uga IV's Migilucuddy II, or, as he may prefer to be called, Uga V.
Arriving at the Seiler's quaint Dutch Island home, I can hear barking from the front lawn. I know it's him. I slowly slip through the front door, waiting to catch a glimpse of Savannah's most famous canine. But he is not as I expected him to be, lounging on some immaculate golden throne for legendary, celebrity mascots. Instead, he sits on the kitchen floor, smiling between barks which don't subside until Cecilia Seiler, owner and primary caretaker of the University's favorite four-footed citizen, unhooks him from his leash. He runs over to inspect me and sniffs my bag. Deciding I will do, he sticks out his tongue and waits patiently to be petted. I oblige and rub his head.
The Pet
|
 Cecelia Seiler sits with Uga V on her back porch.
|
A pet . . . with benefits.
Most pets don't have a room dedicated to the legacy they uphold, but the Seiler's living room has a decor more fitting for a University sports hall of fame than a family living area. Adorned with framed portraits, photographs, magazine covers, plaques and various other honors bestowed upon the Uga name, the room and the enormity of Uga V's heritage makes it difficult to distinguish Uga the celebrity from Uga the pet. This, after all, is the dog who, within the last two years, has been on he cover of Sports Illustrated, been profiled by four different television networks, received a tribute from Sen Paul Coverdale (R-Ga.) in the 105th Congress and played the part of his father, Uga IV, in the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil."
Even with all of his fame, though, Seiler reports Uga prefers cruising around Savannah in the back of her station wagon or going on a summer cruise in the Seiler's boat to hob-nobbing with Hollywood's jet-set.
"He just loves to ride in the car," Seiler says. "Most of the time, if I'm just going to the grocery store or dry cleaners, I'll let him ride with me. He just loves to travel. If he gets really hyper, I'll just let him sit in he car out in the garage. He just sits and waits for me to take him somewhere.
"Oh, everybody knows him around town," she says. "You're not supposed to bring pets into the grocery store, but we just wait until the owner leaves. Then the workers tell us to 'bring him in!' Everybody recognizes him."
On longer trips, including the ones to Athens, Uga rides in a kennel in back of Seiler's station wagon, license plate reading UGA V. "It's safer, and I think Uga likes it better on the longer trips," Seiler says. "Without it he would stand the entire way looking out the window."
When Uga's presence is requested further away, such as at the Heisman trophy presentation in New York, he flies for free with Delta in his private, custom-made kennel. Just a pet, right?
Right. When Uga is not riding around Savannah or jetting off to New York, he lives a rather quiet life. He spends most days by the stairs near the kitchen, close to his food and water bowl.
 The Seilers' living room boasts various Uga momentos.
|
|
The Seiler's have a pool, but Uga V doesn't dive into the waters very often. "We're scared to let Uga go swimming," Seiler says. "It's too dangerous and, besides, when he has gone he just goes around in a circle."
Uga V doesn't play with chew toys much, either. "He gets a ton as presents and such, but he just doesn't take an interest," Seiler says. "His cousin, Sport, just loves toys to death. But nope, not Uga."
So just what is Uga V's weakness? Ice cream, specifically Breyer's vanilla. "That Breyer's vanilla is just his favorite," Seiler says, just as Uga V's ears seem to perk up. Every night after dinner, Uga V tries to coerce Frank "Sonny" Seiler, also owner of Uga V, to give him a bowl of his owe true indulgence. With a face like his, it's not long before Uga V's sitting in front of a cool bowl of vanilla ice cream.
Uga V occasionally has to share his spotlight with the Seiler's other pets, such as Silver Lady, the Seiler's cat. "He does get a little mad when she gets close to his bowl," Seiler says. "But they like each other. They're friends. She doesn't ever get jealous. We lover her equally and she loves Uga too. I know so because whenever he returns from a long trip she always comes running straight for him to sit with him. I think they miss each other when he's gone."
Take away the bugs, the pool and the chew toys, throw in a little ice cream and some Georgia fans and what you've got is one happy dog. A bit too happy at times. "He's a little rambunctious sometimes," Seiler says to the backdrop of barking and excited Uga V. "He just goes and goes. I don't think he realizes how old he is to tell you the truth."
Uga V is eight years old. He is beginning his ninth season with the team and no University mascot has served for more than 10.
|
|
|
Dawn, and Uga V awakes. But instead of rising at home in Savannah, he wakes to the morning light over Athens. His eyes open to his red travel bag, with UGA emblazoned on the outside, that carries his Saturday best: an official University of Georgia football jersey, a red and black leash and a personalized red spiked collar. Today is game day and Uga V is no mere pet, he is the official mascot of the University of Georgia.
"It starts early," Seiler says. "We usually go down (to Athens) the night before and stay in the Continuing Education Center." This is where the day begins and where it will end, but in the interim, Uga V is the busiest dog in America. From photo shoots to post-game parties, Uga's day is packed with cameo appearances.
"He's invited to a lot of things we just cannot do because there's not enough time," Seiler, who decides which events Uga will attend, says.
Uga's game day begins with breakfast at the University of Georgia continuing Education Center, after which he greets fans and poses for two hours while cameras flash all around him. An hour and a half before kickoff, Uga is escorted underneath Sanford Bridge to greet fans as they arrive.
Minutes before kickoff, with the eyes of thousands staring down upon him, Uga V takes the field. In full strut and stride he parades through the hedges and across the gridiron to his custom-made, air-conditioned dawg house. There he remains during much of the game, perhaps thinking to himself he is the reason all these people have filled the Sanford Stadium.
"He thinks it's all for him, every bit of it!" Seiler says with a laugh. "He loves it. He struts out there like 'Here I am!' The only thing he's not crazy about is the big drum of the band." At half-time Uga V is taken via golf cart tot he stadium sky-boxes so he can mingle with University officials and box-holding fans. Then it's back to the field for the second half.
According to Charles Seiler, 38-year-old son of Frank and Cecilia Seiler and Uga's on-field chaperon of 25 years, Uga V is smart, well behaved and knows exactly what his role is upon the field. During the game, Uga is on a leash and stands on the visitors sidelines.
"Frank stands across the field on the Georgia side and Uga knows whenever he makes a move," Seiler says. "According to my son, he jerks on the leash and stares right at my husband. That just shows how well he can see."
Auburn running back Robert Baker can attest to Uga's on-field abilities as well. After catching a six-yard touchdown pass to put Auburn ahead 14-7 at the end of the first quarter of the 1996 Georgia-Auburn game, Baker celebrated in front of Uga V. The mascot in red and black would have none of that, and snapped at the unsuspecting, dancing Baker.
Seiler says Uga V had every right to leap at the running back. "Let me tell you what really happened," she says, suddenly looking very serious. "(Baker) was taunting Uga. He spiked the ball too close and Uga didn't like that one bit. Then he did what he did."
Being the mascot of a major university entails much more than just showing up at football games and occasionally going after an opposing team's star running back. Besides going to University sporting events he's invited to, Uga spends his off-season using his name and notoriety for causes at numerous charity events. He chaired the first ever Great American Smokeout because, according to Seiler, "He hates smoke!" He attends events for the Boys and Girls Club, leads benefit runs and walks and can be seen at many other events as well.
"He stays pretty busy throughout the year and we try to use his name to raise money for good causes," Seiler says. "We are always trying to help the University in any way we can. His presence at events gets people to come out and helps to raise more money."
Uga is always receiving honors and awards, Seiler says. His most famous: the cover of Sports Illustrated and the title of America's greatest college mascot. His most academic: an honorary doctorate in Irish Literature from Armstrong College in Savannah.
With fame comes a responsibility to the fans, a duty Uga V and Seiler see to every morning.
All hand (and paw) done and all authentic, "pawtographs" made with white shoe polish as Uga V presses paw to paper, have become popular with Uga's admirers.
"He paw prints a lot," Seiler says. "Every morning before I take a bath I do about twenty. We just get so many. I want to continue to do it. I never want it to be a stamp."
Does Uga ever get a little cocky about all his fame? Seiler says no, he just goes about the business of being the University's mascot. "It's not a big thing for us, nothing special," she says. "We just take him to all the games and other events, that's all. For us, he's just a pet who happens to be the mascot for the University of Georgia."
The Legacy
Five generations, nine national titles, 98 Southeastern Conference championships, 265 football wins and 25 bowl games—the Uga legacy that began with a wedding gift to then University of Georgia law student Frank Seiler and his new wife Cecilia rolls on. The original Uga, Hood's Ole Dan, first donned the Georgia jersey in the fall of 1956. The previous Georgia mascot, a bulldog named Mike, had just died, leaving a vacancy in which the Uga legacy would flourish. In 1957, with his graduation near, Sonny Seiler announced Hood's Ole Dan would be traveling back with him to Savannah, but offered to return with the dog to all home football games and other events in which his presence was requested.
All of the dogs are of the same blood line and are solid-white, male, English screwtail bulldogs. Uga V breeds twice per year, but not during football season. The Seiler's always choose the youngest born white male pup to take on the title of Uga.
Over the years Uga has trimmed up. Uga V weighs 49 pounds—half of what his great-grandfather did. Uga V is also the healthiest of his line. He doesn't suffer from any of the eye or skin problems the other dogs have, Seiler reports. Uga V eats only Hill's Science Dog Food (except for the ice cream he and Sonny somehow sneak past her) and has had his nasal passages widened to better accommodate breathing.
Athletic Director Vince Dooley says Uga V's early career was less successful than he had hoped, but he believes the dog has made a dramatic turnaround—crediting him as "the motivation to the team to score one of the biggest upsets in Georgia's history in the four overtime win over Auburn.
"This Uga V has now reached a stage where it can walk with all the champion dogs of the past," Dooley wrote in response to an UGAzine e-mail. "I predict that Uga V is just hitting his stride and that there are greater days ahead."
