TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Arizona football kicks off the season Saturday night by hosting Hawaii. The Wildcats have been playing college football since 1899.
This will be the 67th season with Wilbur T Wildcat as the school mascot, although Wilbur hasn't always been the mascot.
"Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat," according to Bill Waynick.
Waynick knows all about being a Wildcat, and more specifically, Wilbur T Wildcat.
"Provide energy, I guess, for the team, for the crowd," Waynick said.
He was Arizona's mascot from 1988 to 1992.
But there was a time when Arizona didn't have a nickname or a mascot. In the early days of football, Arizona was simply known as the "Varsity."
In 1914, after giving Occidental College a tough game, a Los Angeles Times sports reporter wrote, "The Arizona men showed the fight of wild cats."
The nickname stuck. The next season, Arizona debuted its mascot.
It was a live bobcat named Rufus, named after the school president at the time, Rufus B. von KleinSmid.
Rufus was purchased in 1915 by the freshman football team, but Rufus died in April of 1916, after falling from a tree.
Decades later, two students came up with the idea for the first costumed mascot.
On Nov. 7, 1959, he was introduced at a football game against Texas Tech. Wilbur was an instant hit.
In the early days, Wilbur looked more like a craft project. But as the years went by, the custom evolved and so did the wildcat persona.
"You could do a lot of fun things," said Waynick. "You could just be just extremely extrovert."
A self-described introvert, Bill Waynick answered a 1988 ad in the Daily Wildcat and auditioned for the role of Wilbur at a women's basketball game.
"I think what put me over the top, The Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian was on," recalled Waynick. "So, I started dancing. I dance much better in costume."
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Bill shaped Wilbur into the mascot we see today. Long gone were Wilbur's six shooters, replaced by a more appropriate look.
"Wilbur needed a jersey," said Waynick. "So, I talked the equipment room into getting me a jersey and giving me number double zero, for the football jersey. Wilbur T. Wildcat on the back. I think it was well received."
Bill started signing autographs, "Wilbur T Wildcat." The "T" stood for The.
He also started wearing an Arizona jersey at basketball games with the number 99.
"Thought that Wilbur should have Chuck Taylors," Waynick said. "So, I got the red Converse going."
Bill helped popularize the tradition of Wilbur doing one-armed pushups for every point scored by the Arizona football team. His record of 55 has since been broken.
The physical nature of performing in a costume came at a cost.
"Football games, I sweat probably at least 10 pounds every single time," said Waynick.
Wilbur doesn't go it alone. His wife, Wilma Wildcat is usually by his side.
But according to Bill, she came into existence because of a costume mistake. In 1986, a new Wilbur costume arrived with a much more feminine look to it.
"That's not Wilma," Waynick said. "So, that costume created Wilma."
Bill believes Wilma would have eventually been added, but the costume mix-up accelerated Wilbur getting a life partner.
Wilbur has had scuffles with other mascots over the years. Bill had a scuffle with an old Pac-12 foe.
"I had a beef with Oskie the Bear from Cal," explained Waynick.
A run-in during an Arizona-Cal football game ended with Oskie's head spinning around and the two mascots being pulled apart.
Waynick points out that the people playing Wilbur and Wilma aren't on scholarship. They don't have N.I.L. deals. That's why he created the Wilbur and Wilma T. Wildcat Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students serving as the mascots.
Waynick recently retired after a long career in the Air Force. Of course, his call sign was Wilbur.
He says being Wilbur T Wildcat actually led to him meeting his wife in real life. He says he would not have the family that he has today if it weren't for his role as the U of A mascot.
You will still find him at Arizona home games. While no longer in costume, he is still just as passionate.
"If people are being quiet where we're sitting, you know, I'll clap a little louder or I'll start yelling a little bit more in hopes that people will join in," said Waynick.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
