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Student
Association's spring election. This practice, however, has been debated since the mid-1990s. In 1995, following an incident during the Rice-Texas A&M football game, the question of who should be responsible for Sammy the Owl was raised. Following much debate, it was decided that Sammy
146:" to the best performances in Rice theater. These awards are given by the Thresher staff without consultation with the mascot but use his name nonetheless. Remarkably, Greg Meeks, Sammy the Owl, 1991-1992 also won a Sammie best actor award for his performance as Richard the Lionheart in 1992.
97:
1992 - Keith Jaasma removed from Sammy the Owl duties because he is deemed so attractive that female game attendees stop watching the game and only watch Sammy do his patented Owl Shimmy. Official
University records reflect that Mr. Jaasma "graduated" from Rice that
138:
Sammy the Owl has also served as the image of Rice athletics for many years. Past images have depicted Sammy as wearing a sailor hat. In 1995, the image of the owl swooping in behind the university's name replaced old images of Sammy.
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1991 - Sammy the Owl suit reinvented and redesigned to meet the needs of the 6'+ Keith Jaasma and Greg Meeks. Sammy appears increasingly frumpy in subsequent years as normal-size human beings inhabit the
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1993 - While dressed as Sammy the Owl, Bill
Breslin faints at half time during a televised Rice vs University of Texas at Austin football game (at Memorial Stadium), much to the concern of the referees.
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1986 - Sammy the Owl (Truscott) performs world-famous "Shadow the SMU Drum Major" routine at halftime so successfully that letters were written to Rice
President George Rupp from SMU officials.
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1995 - Student Sammy the Owl is tried before UCourt (Rice student judicial organization) on charges stemming from
November 9, 1995, football game against No. 9 Texas A&M.
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Eventually, the canvas representation of Sammy was replaced with a live owl. During this period, handlers kept Sammy in a roost in front of
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that read "Sammy is fairly well and would like to see his parents at eleven o'clock," giving the mascot a name for the first time.
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Rice
University later discontinued its tradition of a live owl, replacing it with a student dressed in an owl suit. As such,
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to go to
College Station to find the missing mascot. Upon recovering the owl, the detective sent a coded telegram to
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would remain an elected student, but would be formally accountable to the athletics department.
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2009 - Sammy is ejected from a basketball game against Tulane for bumping an official.
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An early symbol of Rice's athletic teams was large canvas owl, a tempting target for
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Playboy.com - On Campus - College Team
Mascots - Sammy the Owl - Rice University
113:
2004 - Sammy the Owl is featured in
Playboy Magazine's story on College Mascots
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stolen by students from Texas A&M. Mascot is recovered and given name
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Sammy the Owl is also the mascot of a fictional high school in the movie
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rivals. In 1917, when students from
Southwest Conference football rival
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61:. Prior to football games, Sammy was known to fly into the stadium.
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kidnapped the owl, Rice students pooled their resources and hired a
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963:
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110:
1996 - Sammy receives a make-over and a new suit is unveiled.
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is an elected position of the Rice University Student Body.
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1991 - Sammy's head is stolen during a road trip to UT.
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142:The Rice Thresher awards its annual "
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1885:American Athletic Conference mascots
116:2006 - Sammy's Owl suit is upgraded.
14:
22:is the official mascot for the
1:
1895:1917 establishments in Texas
1685:American Athletic Conference
77:1917 - Canvas depiction of
1911:
992:Rice Owls men's basketball
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161:Debates Surrounding Sammy
293:Bowls & rivalries
157:, filmed in Houston.
119:2007 - Sammy joined
1066:Statistical leaders
369:Statistical leaders
1033:Culture & lore
324:Culture & lore
256:Rice Owls football
214:2008-07-05 at the
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1710:PeeDee the Pirate
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1045:Marching Owl Band
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343:Marching Owl Band
273:(1912, 1914–1915)
190:. Rice University
188:"Rice Traditions"
134:Other appearances
48:private detective
16:University Mascot
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44:Texas A&M
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1061:Head coaches
1039:
364:NFL draftees
359:Head coaches
330:
283:Rice Stadium
204:
192:. Retrieved
182:
164:
151:
150:
148:
143:
141:
137:
82:
65:
63:
56:
37:
19:
18:
1890:Owl mascots
1757:North Texas
279:(1913–1949)
1869:Categories
337:Rice Fight
300:Bowl games
277:Rice Field
174:References
1880:Rice Owls
1703:Charlotte
1516:1999–2000
1017:Rivalries
24:Rice Owls
212:Archived
153:Rushmore
121:Facebook
79:Rice Owl
1848:WuShock
1800:Riptide
1752:Scrappy
1745:Memphis
1734:Pouncer
1722:Owlsley
1641:2024–25
1636:2023–24
1631:2022–23
1626:2021–22
1621:2020–21
1616:2019–20
1611:2018–19
1606:2017–18
1601:2016–17
1596:2015–16
1591:2014–15
1586:2013–14
1581:2012–13
1576:2011–12
1571:2010–11
1566:2009–10
1561:2008–09
1556:2007–08
1551:2006–07
1546:2005–06
1541:2004–05
1536:2003–04
1531:2002–03
1526:2001–02
1521:2000–01
1511:1998–99
1506:1997–98
1501:1996–97
1496:1995–96
1491:1994–95
1486:1993–94
1481:1992–93
1476:1991–92
1471:1990–91
1466:1989–90
1461:1988–89
1456:1987–88
1451:1986–87
1446:1985–86
1441:1984–85
1436:1983–84
1431:1982–83
1426:1981–82
1421:1980–81
1416:1979–80
1411:1978–79
1406:1977–78
1401:1976–77
1396:1975–76
1391:1974–75
1386:1973–74
1381:1972–73
1376:1971–72
1371:1970–71
1366:1969–70
1361:1968–69
1356:1967–68
1351:1966–67
1346:1965–66
1341:1964–65
1336:1963–64
1331:1962–63
1326:1961–62
1321:1960–61
1316:1959–60
1311:1958–59
1306:1957–58
1301:1956–57
1296:1955–56
1291:1954–55
1286:1953–54
1281:1952–53
1276:1951–52
1271:1950–51
1266:1949–50
1261:1948–49
1256:1947–48
1251:1946–47
1246:1945–46
1241:1944–45
1236:1943–44
1231:1942–43
1226:1941–42
1221:1940–41
1216:1939–40
1211:1938–39
1206:1937–38
1201:1936–37
1196:1935–36
1191:1934–35
1186:1933–34
1181:1932–33
1176:1931–32
1171:1930–31
1166:1929–30
1161:1928–29
1156:1927–28
1151:1926–27
1146:1925–26
1141:1924–25
1136:1923–24
1131:1922–23
1126:1921–22
1121:1920–21
1116:1919–20
1111:1918–19
1106:1917–18
1101:1916–17
1096:1915–16
1091:1914–15
1077:Seasons
1024:Houston
380:Seasons
305:Houston
194:29 June
144:Sammies
125:Twitter
52:Houston
34:History
1805:Tulane
1793:Temple
1054:People
1000:Venues
352:People
264:Venues
83:Sammy.
1836:Rowdy
1824:Blaze
1817:Tulsa
315:Texas
98:year.
91:suit.
1841:UTSA
1769:Rice
949:2024
944:2023
939:2022
934:2021
929:2020
924:2019
919:2018
914:2017
909:2016
904:2015
899:2014
894:2013
889:2012
884:2011
879:2010
874:2009
869:2008
864:2007
859:2006
854:2005
849:2004
844:2003
839:2002
834:2001
829:2000
824:1999
819:1998
814:1997
809:1996
804:1995
799:1994
794:1993
789:1992
784:1991
779:1990
774:1989
769:1988
764:1987
759:1986
754:1985
749:1984
744:1983
739:1982
734:1981
729:1980
724:1979
719:1978
714:1977
709:1976
704:1975
699:1974
694:1973
689:1972
684:1971
679:1970
674:1969
669:1968
664:1967
659:1966
654:1965
649:1964
644:1963
639:1962
634:1961
629:1960
624:1959
619:1958
614:1957
609:1956
604:1955
599:1954
594:1953
589:1952
584:1951
579:1950
574:1949
569:1948
564:1947
559:1946
554:1945
549:1944
544:1943
539:1942
534:1941
529:1940
524:1939
519:1938
514:1937
509:1936
504:1935
499:1934
494:1933
489:1932
484:1931
479:1930
474:1929
469:1928
464:1927
459:1926
454:1925
449:1924
444:1923
439:1922
434:1921
429:1920
424:1919
419:1918
414:1917
409:1916
404:1915
399:1914
394:1913
389:1912
196:2012
123:and
1829:UAB
1740:TOM
310:SMU
26:of
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