The SFA Lumberjack Mascot The Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) Lumberjack mascot is a beloved symbol of the university's spirit and heritage. As one of the most recognizable mascots in college sports, the SFA Lumberjack represents the university's rich history in forestry and timber industry. The concept of having a Lumberjack as the university's mascot emerged in the early 1920s when SFA was still mainly known as a forestry school. The decision to adopt a Lumberjack as the mascot was an obvious choice considering the university's close ties to the timber industry and its location in the Piney Woods of East Texas. The SFA Lumberjack mascot is portrayed as a rugged and burly character, often seen wearing a plaid flannel shirt, jeans, work boots, and a coonskin cap.
The Stephen F. Austin lumberjack is a real guy and oh, so popular
File - In this March 15, 2014, file photo, the Stephen F. Austin team celebrates with the championship trophy after an NCAA college basketball game for the Southland Conference tournament championship, in Katy, Texas. Stephen F. Austin is headed to the NCAA tournament as the first 30-win team in Southland Conference history. (AP Photo/Bob Levey, File)
Blake Taylor, the real-life Lumberjack mascot of Stephen F. Austin. Show Caption PUBLISHED: March 23, 2014 at 12:02 a.m. | UPDATED: August 28, 2017 at 7:36 a.m.SAN DIEGO >> Stephen F. Austin is trying on Cinderella’s glass slippers for size.
But one of the most popular men on the court wears cowboy boots, Wranglers, suspenders and a sleeveless flannel shirt and yields an ax. He has a scraggly playoff beard and mullet, too.
Meet Blake Taylor, the official Lumberjacks mascot.
Taylor wears the costume of one of the most unusual mascots because he’s not hidden under a fluffy costume.
Perhaps that’s why pictures of the 21-year-old Texan went viral during Stephen F. Austin’s wild 77-75 overtime win over Virginia Commonwealth on Friday. Taylor was the most popular person until Desmond Hayman made a 4-point play with 3.6 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
And now only UCLA stands in the way of Stephen F. Austin earning a Sweet Sixteen berth. Which means an even bigger platform for Taylor.
Taylor is so unusual many fans wonder if all that stuff is real. The beard, the mullet, the biceps … all real.
“The Lumberjack position at SFA, everyone says you’re the face of the university,” Taylor said in an interview Saturday. “A lot of school mascots have big fuzzy heads over them. At SFA, you’re the guy. They see you at all the football games and basketball games. Your face is seen around a lot.
“You have a lot more responsibility.”
Taylor had not been on a stage like the NCAA Tournament, so when a guy asked him to take a photo in the bathroom of Viejas Arena well, that was awkward.
He hasn’t let his popularity go to his mullet.
Lumberjacks chop wood, and Taylor’s Twitter account shows him doing an underhand chop, but he doesn’t pretend to be an expert. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and doesn’t boast about his bench press. There have been bigger lumberjacks at Stephen F. Austin but maybe none with his credentials.
Taylor is an official member of the Stephen F. Austin cheerleading squad, for which he gets a partial scholarship. But he gives credit to the cheerleaders for doing all the stunts and such. He’s also on academic scholarship, too.
He has many stereotypical traits of a Texan and lumberjack, but underneath that gruff-looking exterior is boy-next-door charm.
He has the attention of female fans, although he’s too shy to admit as much. He loves his biggest fans — elementary students who go to the charter school on the campus of Stephen F. Austin.
“I read to them and their favorite book is ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ ” Taylor said.
They sure like his outfit, too.
He said his grandfather was chairman of the biology department at the university. His mom is an elementary school teacher in Dallas and his father works for the sheriff’s department.
Taylor can get away with his outfit in the South, but when he’s not there he gets stares.
“I just smile and wave,” Taylor said.
Imagine if he wore that getup around Westwood.
In Nacogdoches, he’s a role model who carries the torch for a long tradition.
“A lot of people don’t know the eastern part of the state is covered by pine forest,” said Robert Hill, Stephen F. Austin’s athletic director. “We have a national forest in our county. Having a lumberjack is something the school decided to do a long time ago, and we’re 90 years old this year.
“It’s always been very special. A lot of people think Texas is prairie and John Wayne and cattle. Here, it’s what we call the piney woods, so this is a big job we take very seriously. It’s a real person, and we’ve always been blessed to have young men who take this seriously.”
Taylor really doesn’t like being the center of attention, but that’s exactly what he was during timeouts of the VCU game, flashing Stephen F. Austin’s hand sign of extending two fingers and a thumb. For a guy who doesn’t like being in the spotlight, he sure has a lot of gigs that put him there.
He was the quarterback for the Dallas suburb Rowlett High School team in football-crazed Texas. He was a catcher on the baseball team, too.
Things you would think about the lumberjack that are true: he wears Wranglers and cowboy boots on a daily basis, he’s worked in construction and on a ranch, has a farmer’s tan, drives a Chevy Silverado, hunts and fishes and has an annoyingly bright orange case for his phone in case he drops it in the woods.
Things you wouldn’t think about the lumbjerack that are true: He plays guitar, string bass and piano and sings. He likes John Mayer, although country is his favorite. He gives campus tours. He’s taking business classes, attends a weekly men’s bible study and has a Bible app on his phone.
Hill touted Blake’s academics and commitment to the university. He was voted Mr. Stephen F. Austin this year, and that’s no popularity contest. Hill divulged that.
“Did he tell you he was named Mr. SFA?” Hill asked. “He’s a little shy.”
It’s an honor given based on academics, extracurricular activities, promotion of the university and, well, popularity surely played a little role.
Taylor will look for a job in the financial world when he graduates in December. He’s been the lumberjack for two years, but that’s not his identity. He doesn’t dread his tenure as mascot coming to an end, but a job in business requires suits and a clean-shaven face.
“I’ll have to shave the beard and cut the mullet out, so it’s my last time to look like this,” Taylor said.
We’ll enjoy watching Stephen F. Austin in the NCAA Tournament. And maybe Taylor will make a mascot cameo in a commercial someday, like some school’s mascots have done.
“I wouldn’t be opposed. I think that would be awesome,” Taylor said. “But I think our basketball team deserves it more than I do.”
True. But the lumberjack is just as fun to people watch as Stephen F. Austin’s underdog team.
[email protected] @jillpainter on Twitter
EDITORIAL: Axeceptance in question for Lenny the Lumberjack
On Aug . 25, Stephen F. Austin State University unveiled its newest mascot via Instagram. In the picture , Lenny the Lumberjack stands tall waving his inflatable axe overlooking Homer Bryce Stadium. The odd thing about this L umberjack? Well – h e's an in flatable costume.
When Lenny was first announced , students had mixed reactions . Some thought he was a cute way to show school spirit , while others thought he was creepy. SFA has carried a long tradition of having a current student be the in - person mascot for the U niversity . So this brings up the question – why have Lenny?
It was announced on Sept. 2 that graduate student Deion Robbins would be wielding the axe for this school year. Each year a new student is selected to be the face of SFA until the axe is ready to be passed down. An in-person Lumberjack is a way for anyone to be the face of SFA. Lenny , on the other hand, presents a lack of diversity that our University needs.
While it's understandable that the U niversity wants a st aple mascot that won't have to change every year, having two L umberjack mascots is a huge misstep branding - wise. Instead, the U niversity could have used the beloved Twiggy the S q uirrel. Not only would a mascot squirrel costume look le ss uncanny than Lenny , but the U niversity has already started incorporating Twiggy into on campus branding with the new restaurant Twiggy’s Burgers opening this fall.
With the U niversity having low funds due to COVID -19, adding Lenny just seems like a was te of money. With the in - person L umberjack already being a fan favorite among students and alum ni, his inclusion seems pointless. Ultimately, SFA needs to find a mascot they approve of and stick with it; whether it be the in - person L umberjack, Twiggy or Lenn y.
Name The SFA Lumberjack
If you look at different colleges and universities around the nation, you'll find that most of them have names for their mascots.
- Reveille (Texas A&M)
- Mike the Tiger (LSU)
- Bevo (UT)
- Puddles (Oregon)
- Big Al (Alabama)
- Super Frog (TCU)
- Otto the Orange (Syracuse)
- Sparty (Michigan State)
- Smokey (Tennessee)
- The Ramblin' Wreck (Georgia Tech)
- Albert and Alberta Gator (Florida)
And these are just a few of the college mascots that have proper names.
However, there are several colleges that don't give proper names to their mascots, and Stephen F. Austin State University is one of those schools. To my knowledge, he is just know as "The Lumberjack". And while there's nothing wrong with that, I think that it might be pretty cool to give a specific name to the SFA mascot.
There are a few different ways you can go about naming it. You can use alliteration. So, the name would start with an "L" like lumberjack (i.e. Lucky, Larry, etc.).
You can use something similar to "Paul Bunyan". I mean, a famous lumberjack name could be cool for a mascot.
Or, you can tie into the school's history. For example, "Stephen" for Stephen F. Austin? Hey, it could work.
But let us know your thoughts on the new name of the lumberjack in the comment section below. if he even needs a name at all. Maybe you think he should just use "The Lumberjack". Then, once we get this moving, maybe we could get it in the hands of the decision-makers at SFA, and the ball could start rolling. Hey, you never know!
The SFA Lumberjack mascot is portrayed as a rugged and burly character, often seen wearing a plaid flannel shirt, jeans, work boots, and a coonskin cap. He is equipped with a large axe or a chainsaw, representing the tools used in the timber industry. The Lumberjack mascot is a prominent figure at SFA sporting events and campus activities.
He leads the university's cheerleading squad, pumps up the crowd, and encourages school spirit among students, alumni, and fans. The Lumberjack is known for his energetic dance moves, entertaining routines, and crowd-engaging spirit. The SFA Lumberjack mascot is also involved in community outreach programs and events. He visits local schools, participates in parades, and interacts with fans of all ages. The mascot serves as a positive ambassador for the university, promoting SFA's values of excellence, teamwork, and commitment. Moreover, the Lumberjack mascot has become an iconic symbol of SFA and is often featured on university merchandise, such as apparel, accessories, and collectibles. Students and alumni proudly display the Lumberjack mascot in their homes, offices, and vehicles as a symbol of their connection to SFA. In conclusion, the SFA Lumberjack mascot represents the university's deep-rooted history and connection to the timber industry. Armed with an axe or chainsaw, the Lumberjack showcases the spirit, energy, and pride of SFA at sporting events, campus activities, and community outreach programs. The Lumberjack mascot is a beloved symbol of SFA's past and an enduring representation of its present..
Reviews for "The SFA Lumberjack Mascot: A Cultural Icon that Represents the Spirit of East Texas"
1. Jane - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with the SFA lumberjack mascot. First of all, it just looked so outdated and cheesy. The costume looked like it hadn't been updated since the 90s, with its baggy flannel shirt and oversized axe. It really didn't make me feel excited or proud to be a fan of SFA. Additionally, I found the mascot's behavior during the game to be obnoxious and distracting. It seemed more focused on trying to show off and get attention rather than supporting the team. Overall, I think SFA needs to seriously consider revamping their mascot.
2. Mark - 1 star
As an alumnus of SFA, I was really disappointed with the lumberjack mascot. It simply didn't represent the spirit and pride of the university. The costume looked cheap and poorly made, and the lumberjack character felt more like a caricature than a meaningful symbol. The mascot's actions during games also left much to be desired. It often seemed more interested in creating silly antics rather than cheering on the team or engaging with the crowd. I believe SFA should invest in a new mascot that better reflects the university's values and traditions.
3. Emily - 2 stars
I wasn't a fan of the SFA lumberjack mascot. It just didn't seem to connect with the crowd or create a sense of excitement. The costume design was lackluster and unflattering, and the whole concept felt outdated. I also found the mascot's antics during games to be more annoying than entertaining. Instead of energizing the crowd and rallying support for the team, it often came off as trying too hard or being a distraction. I think SFA should consider reevaluating their mascot choice to better engage with the fans.