The University of North Carolina's mascot is a ram, more specifically, a Tar Heel Ram. The choice of a ram as the mascot is rooted in the history and tradition of the university. The ram has been associated with UNC athletics since the early 20th century. It is believed that the choice of a ram as the mascot was inspired by the school's founder, William Richardson Davie, who served as a general during the American Revolutionary War. General Davie's troops were known for their strength, resilience, and tenacity, much like a ram. In addition to its connection to General Davie, the ram also symbolizes other qualities that are highly regarded by the university.
From Rameses to Rampage
Alex Floch ’17 parlayed his Carolina student gig as Rameses into a job as Rampage, the mascot of the Los Angeles Rams. He said the roles have taught him to be comfortable in his own skin. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Rams
Alex Floch ’17, like a lot of us, has been putting on a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. He wears one for safety, but he wears another to bring smiles to strangers’ faces and whip up excitement among tens of thousands of NFL football fans.
Floch is the (shhhh!) secret identity of the Los Angeles Rams’ mascot, Rampage, a role he graduated to after spending much of his college career as UNC’s anthropomorphic Rameses.
The UNC mascot experience was “life changing,” said Floch, who grew up in Winston-Salem. “It taught me to be comfortable in my own skin without the costume on, but it also gave me an opportunity to try new things, meet new people and have opportunities I never thought existed.”
Photo courtesy of Alex Floch ’17
Floch also embraced what he called the “profound” legacy of Jason Ray ’07, a UNC mascot who was hit and killed by a car in 2007 while traveling with the men’s basketball team. Floch recalled meeting Ray’s parents at a fundraiser for UNC’s transplant center, which bears Ray’s name. “There was not a dry eye. I was very emotional, and they were, too,” Floch said. “When they see Rameses, they see their son, as they should.”
The event underscored for Floch how mascots can affect people — in and out of costume — and reminded him of the important lesson to temper expectations. “The best mascots know not every reaction is going to be the best one. Not every kid’s dream is to see a mascot; for some, it’s a nightmare,” Floch said. “My philosophy is, if I can walk away from each event making at least one person smile, I’ve done what I set out to do.”
Floch has hyped crowds and cheered for his teams on two of sports’ biggest stages. As Rameses, he was with the UNC men’s basketball team when it won the NCAA Championship in 2017. Two years later, he was Rampage on the sidelines of Super Bowl LIII, when the Rams lost to the New England Patriots.
And with the Rams winning Super Bowl LVI in February in the team’s $5 billion state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium, Floch now has an NFL championship to pair with an NCAA title.
“The best mascots know not every reaction is going to be the best one. Not every kid’s dream is to see a mascot; for some, it’s a nightmare. My philosophy is, if I can walk away from each event making at least one person smile, I’ve done what I set out to do.”
— Alex Floch ’17
“You feel very fulfilled and gratified that the hard work paid off and culminated into that one very special moment,” Floch said after the Rams victory, although he takes no credit as a title-tilt talisman. “It’s been pretty remarkable to say the least. It’s a mixture of resilience and being in the right place at the right time.”
The Super Bowl scene was in stark contrast to the stadium’s inaugural season in August 2020 when the coronavirus was beginning to spread rapidly. The Rams and crosstown rival Chargers (who rent the stadium for home games) played a surreal, fanless season due to COVID restrictions.
Floch wasn’t on the sidelines for the first half of the 2020 season and was relegated to prowling the stadium’s empty concourse with the cheerleaders and a camera crew. No one approached Floch to give him a high-five or ask for a picture.
As the pandemic worsened in late 2020, Floch and the cheerleaders stopped going to games altogether. Floch found solace, however, helping the community. While fans weren’t inside SoFi Stadium, thousands of cars drove through its parking lots to collect meal kits put together by local Rams partners.
Floch said he felt “fulfilled and gratified” being on the sidelines as Rampage for the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory. But he said his involvement in a reading program for under-resourced school districts means more to him than winning a Super Bowl. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Rams
It was particularly sweet being back on the field for the 2021 season’s Sunday Night Football home opener, a victory over the Chicago Bears, in front of 70,000 fans.
“It was the first game in a while that my legs felt nervous — I had the shakes,” Floch said. “You don’t want to trip and fall when you run the flag out!”
Floch didn’t falter, and he relished the revival. “To see people celebrate with each other and high-five each other, you realize how much you missed not having it,” he said. “It was remarkable to see after such a long time.”
Floch also is spearheading a new team-sponsored program designed to boost children’s literacy, using the recently published book Ride with Rampage. “It takes children on an educational and fun journey around Los Angeles,” said Molly Higgins, Rams vice president of community affairs and engagement. “Alex is now working closely with under-resourced school districts to bring this book to their first to third graders to inspire a love of reading.”
Floch said winning the Super Bowl won’t determine whether he is successful in his job. The reading program “is genuinely going to help people in Los Angeles, especially in low-resourced communities. It will mean more to me down the road than winning a Super Bowl.”
Happy Birthday, Rameses!
He saw Gio's punt return. He saw Connor's kick. He saw Dre' Bly and Julius Peppers, Chris Keldorf and T.J. Yates, LT, Charlie Justice, Chris Hanburger and William Fuller. He's been a constant on the sideline at Kenan Stadium. Saturday marks the 90th birthday of Carolina's beloved ram mascot, Rameses.
With a team called the Tar Heels, it might seem strange that a ram is Carolina's mascot. Vic Huggins, Carolina's head cheerleader in 1924, offered an explanation."In 1924 school spirit was at a peak," Huggins once said, “but something seemed to be missing. One day it hit me: State had a wolf. What Carolina needed was a symbol."
Two years earlier, the Tar Heels had posted a brilliant 9-1 record on the back of a bruising fullback named Jack Merritt. Merritt was nicknamed "The Battering Ram" for the way he plunged into lines. To Huggins, it seemed natural to link a mascot with Merritt's unusual sobriquet.
“Charlie Woollen, the athletic business manager at that time, agreed with the idea and gave us $25 to purchase a fitting mascot,” Huggins said. Rameses I was shipped in from Texas, arriving just in time to be introduced at a pep rally before the VMI game. Complete with a monogram blanket on his back, Rameses helped make the pep rally one of the school's greatest.
Then, the ram was taken to Emerson Field, where Carolina was an underdog to a strong Keydet team. But, for three quarters, the Tar Heels battled the visitors to a scoreless tie.
Late in the fourth quarter, Carolina's Bunn Hackney was called upon to attempt a field goal. Before taking the field, he stopped to rub Rameses' head for good luck. Seconds later, Hackney's 30-yard dropkick sailed between the goalposts, giving the Tar Heels a 3-0 victory and a legendary mascot.
Ninety years later, the ram that fans now see at home games is Rameses XX, fitting for the 20th dorset horned sheep to take the mantle. The Hogan family has cared for Rameses for 90 years. Don Basnight is a third-generation caretaker, the grandson of Henry Hogan, who looked after Rameses I.
When selecting the next ram to become Rameses, the family looks for a symmetrical curl in the horns. “Every animal doesn't have that same symmetry and broad horns, so we look for that,” Basnight said. “[Then], temperament, if we get to choose. We like to use animals that are gentler and easier to work with, because they're rams, and they will butt you.”
Before a game (Friday night or early Saturday), the caretakers brush out Rameses' coat, wash him if necessary, and paint the horns. “A nice Carolina blue latex,” Basnight said. Game day involves touching up the paint, putting on the bridle and halter and blanket and heading to town. Rameses rides down Franklin Street and stopping by fraternity and sorority houses and tailgate parking lots before hitting Tar Heel Town.
“We often will see the same people,” Basnight said. “They'll come up and say they've got to pet him as their own superstition, their own game day ritual. They've got to pet the ram before the game, and that's a lot of fun. People will introduce themselves and often share a ram experience, where they've seen him with maybe one of the other caretakers through the years. It's a family tradition that they have from when they were in school.”
, Carolina senior associate athletic director for marketing, said the Rameses tradition is a special one. “It's always such a thrill to see how much all of our fans, particularly our young fans, enjoy meeting and interacting with Rameses at Tar Heel Town and at Kenan Stadium,” he said. “For me personally, it's been a real joy to get to know the Hogan family and all the folks that have kept the tradition going for so long. They take a great deal of pride in it, they do a great job taking care of Rameses and being a part of football Saturdays.”
In addition to home games, Rameses has traveled everywhere from New York City (for the Carolina-Notre Dame game in 1949) to Jacksonville for Carolina's Gator Bowl appearances.
“We've been in it a long time,” Basnight said. “I think it's one of the best traditions for a mascot in our nation. It really speaks to our school and the history of our athletics, and particularly our football program.”
UNC Mascot Bronze Rameses Garden Statue
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Share Share Link Close share Copy linkIn addition to its connection to General Davie, the ram also symbolizes other qualities that are highly regarded by the university. The ram is known for its fearlessness, determination, and competitiveness, which are all characteristics that UNC values in its athletes and students. Furthermore, the ram serves as a symbol of pride and unity for the UNC community.
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It represents the strength and spirit of the university, as well as the loyalty and dedication of its students, alumni, and fans. In recent years, the university has embraced the Tar Heel Ram as its official mascot, giving it a more prominent role in sporting events and campus traditions. The ram can be seen at various UNC athletic events, leading cheers and interacting with fans. It has become a beloved symbol of school spirit and pride. Overall, the choice of a ram as the UNC mascot is a reflection of the university's history, values, and sense of community. The ram embodies the strength, determination, and competitive spirit that defines UNC and its athletic programs..
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