NFL Mascots Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
2 min
NFL Mascots Quiz
Image: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Whether it's a live animal or a human dressed in a sometimes creepy-looking costume, the majority of National Football League (NFL) teams have a mascot present on the sideline during games. Seen as a good luck charm of sorts, the mascot tradition really kicked into gear around the early 20th century, although most mascots back then were actually dressed-up children or real animals. Pro baseball was the first sport that really caught onto this practice though, with professional football joining in on the fun decades later.

Today, it's more common than not for a football team to proudly display its mascot and use it to keep the crowd engaged in games. Often, mascots are selected and named by fan contests, memorably done when Baltimore fans chose the raven as an homage to renowned poet Edgar Allan Poe, who died and is buried in the city (Poe famously penned the poem, "The Raven”). In fact, of the 33,000 votes cast in the naming contest, a whopping 21,000 picked the raven!

It's not all touchdowns and field goals for the NFL mascot industry, however. Some teams have come under serious fire for the continued use of mascots of Native American origins, with some taking offense to the use of "Redskins,” often considered a racial slur.

Still, for the most part mascots are considered lighthearted fun, and as much a part of a football game as hot dogs and beer. How much do you know about the NFL's prized mascots? Take the quiz to see if you're the star QB of mascot trivia!

Of the 32 teams that make up the NFL, how many do NOT have mascots?
three
five
seven
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are five killjoy teams that apparently don't want their fans to have fun during the interminable TV timeouts.

Which of the following teams does NOT have a mascot?
New York Giants
Green Bay Packers
both
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Neither the Giants nor the Packers have a mascot. The New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams don't have mascots, either.

"Big Red" is the mascot for which team?
San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals
Kansas City Chiefs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Big Red is a big red cardinal who works for Arizona. He started his gig in 1998.

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What's the name of the Oakland Raiders' mascot?
the Pirate
Raider Rusher
They don't have one.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Raider Rusher is a giant creepy head, but it was created for a kid's show called "NFL Rush Zone."

What year did Steely McBeam become the official mascot for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
2007
1999
1992
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

McBeam was confirmed as the team's mascot in 2007. His name was selected from 70,000 fan-submitted ideas.

Swoop is the mascot for which team?
Atlanta Falcons
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Swoop works for the Philadelphia Eagles, and his bio says that he mostly eats smaller birds like "Cardinals, Falcons and Ravens."

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How tall is Billy Buffalo, the mascot for the Buffalo Bills?
8 feet (2.4 meters)
10 feet
12 feet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Billy is 8 feet tall, and he was rolled out as the team's full-time mascot in 2000.

What's the name of the patriot who serves as the New England Patriots' mascot?
Pat
Nathaniel
Paul
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pat is a solider from the American Revolution. There are currently two different men who alternate playing the role on game day.

The Cleveland Browns have a live dog named Swagger as one of their mascots. What kind of dog is Swagger?
bulldog
pit bull
bullmastiff
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Swagger is a bullmastiff that was born in 2013 and weighs a hefty 120 pounds (54 kilograms). His size and energy means he'd probably be better than some Browns players.

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How many live raven mascots do the Baltimore Ravens have on the sidelines?
two
five
10
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

There are two live ravens, named Rise and Conquer, that appear during home games.

What's the name of the Miami Dolphins' mascot?
Yancy
T.D.
Flipper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

To generate fan interest, the Dolphins had a contest to name their new mascot. Of the 13,000 entries, the winning idea was ... T.D.

What year did the Dolphins' mascot T.D. make his debut?
1997
2003
2007
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

T.D. made his debut in 1997 against the Chicago Bears. His presence at his first playoff game was good luck, as the team beat the Bills in 1999.

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According to his online biography, what is the favorite song of Who Dey, the mascot for the Cincinnati Bengals?
"Welcome to the Jungle"
"Wild Thing"
"Who Let the Dogs Out"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Who Dey is a tiger, so naturally he loves "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses.

What alphanumeric combination appears on Billy Buffalo's uniform?
B8
BB
8B
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The BB on the front of his uniform stands for Billy Buffalo, of course.

How long has Freddie Falcon been the mascot for the Atlanta Falcons?
more than 35 years
more than 20 years
more than 15 years
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At more than 35 years old, Freddie is one of the NFL's older mascots. There are other Falcons teams in the country, and their mascots are named Freddie, too, making this a bit confusing.

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What kind of horse is Thunder II, the live horse that appears at Denver Broncos games?
Arabian
American quarter horse
American paint horse
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Thunder II is an Arabian gelding. His registered name is Winter Solstyce.

Which unofficial mascot for the Los Angeles Chargers announced his retirement in 2018?
Batman
Boltman
Voltage
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2018, Boltman, an obsessive fan who has been dressing up for games since the '90s, announced his retirement. After the Chargers moved from San Diego in 2017, Boltman said his heart wasn't in it any more.

What's the name of the live horse that the Kansas City Chiefs use as one of their mascots?
Warpaint
Hatchet
Tomahawk
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Warpaint is the third horse used as a Chiefs mascot. He's a pinto horse.

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What year did the original Warpaint retire?
1978
1989
1981
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first incarnation of Warpaint retired in 1989. For 20 years, the position was vacant, until Warpaint made a triumphant return in 2009.

According to his biography, when was Viktor the Viking born?
960
1211
1446
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He was born in 960 in the fjords of Iceland, the perfect time and place for a Minnesota Vikings mascot to emerge. No word on how he got his U.S. citizenship.

What's the name of the bear that serves as the mascot for the Chicago Bears?
Griz
Brock
Staley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

He's Staley Da Bear, and he gets his first name from A.E. Staley, who started the Bears franchise in 1919.

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Which mascot was the first ever to be introduced into the Mascot Hall of Fame?
K.C. Wolf
Rowdy
Sourdough Sam
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

K.C. Wolf received the honor in 2006.

Rowdy has been the mascot of the Dallas Cowboys since what year?
1996
1999
2000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Rowdy's been around since 1996, and his favorite food is, predictably, steak.

The New Orleans Saints used to have a live dog mascot of which breed?
Saint Bernard
French bulldog
greyhound
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The dog's name was Gumbo, and he was a Saint Bernard, so chosen because of St. Bernard Parish just to the east of the city.

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There were originally three Ravens mascots dressed up in raven costumes, but only one survived retirement. Which one?
Edgar
Allan
Poe
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Poe is the only one of the three remaining. He is sometimes joined by two live ravens on loan from the local zoo.

What's the name of the Indianapolis Colts' mascot?
Indigo
Blue
White
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Blue is a horselike character with a red mane. He likes to don a Colts jersey featuring - what else? - a horseshoe.

When did the Colts' mascot Blue make his first appearance?
2006
2000
1995
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Blue is a relative newcomer to the mascot game, as he debuted in 2006. The team won the Super Bowl that year.

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According to his online biography, what is NOT one of Blue's favorite movies?
"War Horse"
"Seabiscuit"
"Blue's Brothers"
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"War Horse" isn't mentioned, but he does love "Seabiscuit" and "The Blues Brothers" along with "Indiana Jones."

In 2010, how many fans submitted ideas for the name of the St. Louis Rams' mascot?
100,000
10,000
1,000
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

About 1,000 St. Louis Rams fans submitted their ideas, and the winner was Rampage. Five years later, the team "rampaged" the hearts of local fans by leaving for Los Angeles.

According to his bio, what was Pat Patriot's major in college?
American history
computer science
botany
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pat was supposedly an American history major, making him an all-around all-American mascot who has a permanently cheesy smile affixed to his face.

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You Got:
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Jim McIsaac/Getty Images