The Infamous Horns
Bevo, the widely-recognized University of Texas mascot, has influenced much of the university’s culture. The shape of the Longhorn’s head and horns has become the “Hook ‘em Horns” hand symbol notorious to students, faculty, sports fans and rivals. Some people have speculated the color of his hide influenced the university’s white and burnt orange color scheme. Bevo was called “the toughest-looking animal mascot in sports” in an Austin-American Statesman commentary article, and the University of Texas is one of only a dozen or so universities that can claim to have a live mascot. “Bevo is a way to show others who don’t go to the University of Texas exactly what our school is all about,” said Kasey Stricklin, a member of Texas Spirits, a university pride group. “Bevo is strong and intelligent. Our student body is much the same way and non-students have certainly come to respect, and opponents to fear, our great mascot.”
Bevo has been a staple at Texas football home games since 1966, and he travels to many away games. He is present at countless events, such as important pep rallies before the games against the University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Bevo also attends events to promote the Longhorn spirit at commencement ceremonies, where he is available for photographs with graduates and their families. He has even traveled to Washington D.C. for the 2000 and 2004 presidential inaugurations of George W. Bush, where he was assigned his own secret service agent. Look below to check out many of the places Bevo has traveled.