by Megan Shoup
November SuperFan of the Month
4:59 am in Uncategorized by Megan Shoup
November Super Fan – “The Mountaineer” – Brock Burwell:
We’re excited to introduce our November “SuperFan”, Brock Burwell, AKA “The Mountaineer” of West Virginia University.
Brock is a second year grad student at WVU and studying to get his masters in Athletic Coaching Education. While his friends and family know him as Brock, the students of WVU, fans and people of West Virginia know him as The Mountaineer. This is a name and role he was literally born to do and he’s loving every minute of it!
You’ve probably seen Brock on television running around the field or court and getting WVU fans excited about the game, whether they’re winning or losing. But there’s a lot more than dressing up and carrying a gun to be the Mountaineer. And there’s a lot of appearances Brock makes as the Mountaineer than probably anyone could ever guess.
But Brock takes his role as The Mountaineer of West Virginia University very seriously and truly loves his job. Now you have an opportunity to hear from “The Mountaineer” himself and find out what goes into becoming & being a mascot, or as we like to call it SuperFan!
So take a minute and get to know this faithful WVU student, fan & face of the team! He truly bleeds Blue & Gold!
How long have you been a WVU fan? When you arrived at WVU or before?
I have been a WVU fan ever since I can remember caring about athletics. My uncle was actually the WVU Mountaineer when he was in college (Rock Wilson 91-94) and I followed him around as the “Little Mountaineer” during his tenure. I went with him to football and basketball games and cheered on the Mountaineers (I was 5 or 6). Ever since that time I wanted to be the Mountaineer so when I came to WVU that was one of the first things I wanted to do was try out.
Were you approached to be WVU Mountaineer or did you have to audition?
There is a try-out process that is broken down into three parts: application, interview and try-out. Each part is more intense and intimidating as the one before. It would take me a long time to go into detail about what each part requires, but needless to say, it is a lot.
What was that experience like?
It was extremely intimidating. The interview is intense. The try-out is intense. Each step of the process tests you in a different way. They want to know that you will be a good Mountaineer and they do their best to find out how you will react to certain situations. Being the Mountaineer is different than being any other mascot in the country. You are often asked to give speeches, interact with prominent members of the university and the state, do TV interviews among other things. The individual in this position is a great marketing tool for WVU and they want to make sure the right person is in that position. Also, the Mountaineer carries a gun, so they want to make sure the individual is a responsible member of society. They can’t just give it to anyone.
How long have you been the WVU Mountaineer?
This is my second year as the Mountaineer. My uncle, Rock Wilson, did it for three years but they made a rule shortly after that you are only allowed to do two consecutive years. After basketball season this year I will be finished.
Which sports are you there for as The Mountaineer? Do you ever travel with the teams?
I am the Mountaineer for each and every sport here at WVU. While it is impossible to attend each and every athletic event, I try my best. The only athletic events I am required to go to are football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. Everything else I do is on my own time and if it fits in my schedule, but I do my best. Last year I attend around 300 events in and around West Virginia. This includes athletic events, parades, university events, alumni events, visiting schools, athletic events, etc. Most Mountaineers do their best to attend as many events as they can during their tenure.
I normally travel with the cheerleaders during athletic events but on occasion we travel with some athletic teams if it works out that way.
Do you consider yourself more a mascot or a Superfan?
While I am the mascot of WVU, I would definitely consider myself as a Superfan. When you add up all the responsibilities of the Mountaineer, it would be impossible to not be a Superfan of WVU. You would have to have a lot of passion for this university and state to take on this position. Game days are easy to be a passionate, but its the other 250 appearances you make in a year that really make the Mountaineer a Superfan.
Like I said, the Mountaineer is a mascot, but it really is a lot more. The Mountaineer really embodies what West Virginia stands for. The Mountaineer is traditionally a strong, healthy, hard working individual and that also describes the people of West Virginia. While other mascots don’t really relate to the university and the surrounding area, the Mountaineer is really a symbol of West Virginia. The people of our great state really connect with the Mountaineer and love the position.
Do you get recognized a lot on campus as The Mountaineer, even when you’re not in uniform? What is that experience like?
I get recognized not only on campus and in Morgantown, but also all over West Virginia. I spend a lot of time all over the state and I have gotten recognized just about everywhere. I think that really tells a lot about the people of West Virginia and how closely they follow WVU. West Virginia has no pro sports teams so the Mountaineers are what this state focuses on. The people of West Virginia love WVU and WVU loves West Virginia. Also me being around all the athletic teams as well as many other events around the state, people begin to remember you. The Mountaineer is there for every game so you get on TV a good bit and people remember you. II have even been recognized out of state, which was really weird for me but I love it! Each time a new Mountaineer is selected, people look up who it is and what they look like. It’s a cool position to be a part of. When you become the Mountaineer, you will get recognized. Obviously not just me, but any Mountaineer.These days with social media being a big part of day to day life, I get a lot of Facebook friend requests and Twitter followers. I try to post things related to what I am doing and things they would find interesting. People want to know what the Mountaineer is doing and be close to that person.
Describe how important the role of 12th man, 6th man, etc. is to fans?
I think the crowd can be a huge part of an athletic competition. I have been at numerous games in which our crowd has had a direct impact on our competition and, as a fan, that is a great feeling.
What’s your favorite part about being a “SuperFan”?
Being close to the team that I love. I grew up a West Virginian and I love this state and this university. I have watched WVU athletics since I was a child and now having the opportunity to be on the field with my favorite team is a dream come true. Every day I realize how blessed I am to be a Mountaineer. Having the chance to fire the rifle to bring the team out onto the field is an unbelievable feeling and I make sure that I don’t take it for granted.
What’s your craziest story as being a “SuperFan”?
Brock visited the set of College Gameday, and said it was one of his craziest experiences as WVU’s SuperFan!
Wow. That is a great question and I really don’t know the answer to it. I have had a lot of crazy things happen to me. Between having athletes from rival schools add me on Facebook to “talk smack”, watching opposing fans, players and coaches jump when I fire the rifle, going up on the College Gameday stage to talk with Lee Corso and the gang, showing up to events without the knowledge that I was supposed to give a long speech, or any of the other crazy things that have happened to me, I couldn’t choose between them. I have had such a great time as the Mountaineer. Being the Mountaineer has literally changed my life. It will be a sad day for me when I have to give it up.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND “The Mountaineer”:
