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Willie the Wildcat is the mascot for the Northwestern Wildcats . History. Willie the Wildcat. c. 2007. c. 1961.
- Willie the Wildcat
Willie the Wildcat can refer to: Willie the Wildcat (Kansas...
- Willie the Wildcat
Oct 13, 2014 · Learn about the origins and evolution of the Wildcat nickname and mascot at Northwestern University. Discover how the University Archives preserved a living specimen of Willie the Wildcat and its descendants.
- Wildcat Growl & Claw
- Hands in The Air
- Wildcat Dash
The tradition where every Northwestern fan holds his/her arm up angled upwards with a hand in a Wildcat claw. This is followed by creating as much noise as possible in order to distract the opponent. The tradition occurs when Northwestern is on defense, and the growl is the loudest during every third down.
Before the start of the fourth quarter, join a guest conductor in turning the volume up at Ryan Field by putting your hands in the air! To see previous "Hands In The Air" videos, click here.
Before the kick-off to the Big10 home opener, Northwestern’s first year students are given the chance to lead the team out onto the field as a class.
The mascot of Northwestern Athletics is Willie the Wildcat. Prior to Willie, the team mascot had been a live, caged bear cub from the Lincoln Park Zoo named Furpaw, who was brought to the playing field on game days to greet the fans.
(There was also a Wilhelmina Wildcat in the early 1960s, and Winnie the Wildcat existed for a few years in the late 197os and early ’80s.) Willie’s image evolved over the years. He was once a fierce wildcat with sharp fangs bursting through a nasty snarl. And the Willie suit has evolved too.
1960: Decades after his appearance on the sidelines, Willie the Wildcat rode in a Homecoming parade. Northwestern athletes were first called "wildcats" after a 1924 game against the University of Chicago.
