University of North Carolina Athletics
Behind The Scenes: Rameses
November 22, 2002 | General
This week's Behind The Scenes focuses on two UNC students who give life to the Rameses mascot character at North Carolina sporting events. TarHeelBlue.com caught up with Andrew Head and James Collins during halftime of Carolina's 71-67 victory over Rutgers Wednesday evening.
Andrew Head - Rameses #1
Year
Senior
Major
History, Peace and War Defense
Experience as Rameses
3 years
TarHeelBlue.com
Why did you want to become the mascot?
Rameses #1
"I watched the guy that was it before me do it and it looked like a blast. It looked like a whole lot of fun. So, I thought I would just give it a shot and see how it was. I tried it and loved it."
THB
What do you do to get ready for a game?
Rameses #1
"We have a whole lot of stuff we have to move. So, it's a lot of moving stuff around. For football, we'll have alumni events, Tar Heel Town and things like that. No hocus pocus or anything like that."
THB
What do you have to do in tryouts to become a mascot?
Rameses #1
"Gymnastics stuff. I can do front and back handsprings and I can do a punch front. I used to be able to do a back tuck, but I tore my knee up doing that so I don't do that anymore."
THB
How much of the games do you get to see?
Rameses #1
"Sometimes we are interacting with the fans one-on-one, but usually we get to see a lot of the game for basketball. For football, I never know what's going on because we have so much to do. You can't just turn around and watch the game. I usually don't know if we won or not except by the fans reaction."
THB
How is the uniform?
Rameses #1
"It is ridiculous. It is thick. It has a thick foam layer that puffs out around you then you have fur, a sweater, big tall socks and the head is pretty hot too. It is hot, but its worth it. It's fun."
THB
What do you do during the week to prepare for a game?
Rameses #1
"I lift everyday and run. As far as actual events and games all you do is drink lots and lots of water. You can lose anywhere from four to six pounds in sweat just during a football game. When you get done you can literally ring your shirt out and there will be a puddle on the floor of sweat."
THB
Have you had any strange things happen to you as the mascot?
Rameses #1
"People always want me to sign their t-shirts and random things like that. The strangest thing that ever happened was that someone asked me to sign something while I was not in uniform, but they knew I was the mascot. They wanted me to sign "Rameses" in regular street clothes. I thought that was kind of strange."
THB
Do you go to away games?
Rameses #1
"Yeah, I go to away football games and I'm actually going to Hawaii Monday with the women's basketball team. I get to go to Hawaii for nine days. They are the best. The women's basketball team is the bomb - they rock.?"
THB
What do you want to do after graduation?
Rameses #1
"I race jet skis professionally. So, I'm caught between going to chiropractic school on the educational side and either opening a jet ski shop or racing professionally on the recreational side. I was third in the nation last year racing so I have an opportunity to exploit that."
"My parents are on me about sending me to school and spending all this money and me turning around and not even using it. I don't really think about it like that. I think education is more to make you a more well rounded person. It's not job training. If I wanted to learn a job I'd go to community college and learn how to be a carpenter or something. I am here to fulfill myself, not get a job. You want to get a job, but that is not necessarily why you are here."
Andrew Head -- James Collins
James Collins - Rameses #2
Year
Senior
Major
Psychology
Experience as Rameses
"A couple of weeks."
THB
What intrigued you about being the mascot?
Rameses #2
"I was a varsity cheerleader so I knew what they were doing and it looked like a lot of fun. I just wanted to get in the suit and cut up a little bit."
THB
The Penn State game was your first performance. How did you like it?
Rameses #2
"It was a lot of fun. It was really hot, but it's a lot of fun. You cut up and interact with a lot of people."
THB
Was the heat worse then you thought it was going to be?
Rameses #2
"Actually no. I'm also a volunteer fireman and I've been in a fire suit. Actually, I've been in an actual fire so its not worse than being in a real fire."
THB
What do you do to prepare for a game?
Rameses #2
"I hang out with (Andrew) and we get hype about the game. We talk about how much cutting up we want to do. We talk about the gun because it has a lot of power. We work on aiming it just right and get fired up about performing. We talk about who is going to do the funniest things."
THB
Did anything strange happen to you in your first experience?
Rameses #2
"The shoes. It is really difficult walking up and down the stairs in the shoes until you get used to it. So, the first couple of times I went up and down I almost busted my head open."
THB
What do you want to do after graduation?
Rameses #2
"After graduation I will be commissioned into the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant."
