30 Reasons for 30 Days - Day 4: Because of the Scarlet Knight (Part 1)

Since August 5, I have been posting a daily reason why it is great to be a fan of Rutgers football. There are a lot more than thirty, but I picked my thirty reasons, and hope you have liked them.

One of the parts of being in the stadium that is the most fun is the comic character of the Scarlet Knight. It is a character that has evolved over time, and each iteration is more fun than the one previously. Here is a video of when the most recent version was unveiled in 2014:

After his unveiling, the “Extreme Makeover” of the Scarlet Knight was shared as well. Obviously, this is serious stuff!

The Scarlet Knight is very present at all Rutgers events, and in fact, Rutgers fans can even have him at your own event. Of course, in Big Ten conference events, he is always there with the other mascots in the Big Ten.

As you can see from the above, the Scarlet Knight is involved in social media, and even has his own Twitter handle @RUScarletKnight. It’s a good site for seeing what the mascot is involved in on a regular basis.

At the games, the Scarlet Knight is very playful, and will engage in mock “battles” with other mascots as well. We can always be happy when we see the Scarlet Knight coming out on top of those battles, as seen below.

Photo Courtesy of Bruce Adler

The Scarlet Knight is also involved in lots of other endeavors. He has been involved in the “Knighting” that has been taking place around campus recently. Below he catches up with someone as they are leaving the Rutgers Athletic Center.

Even before #Knighting was a thing, the Scarlet Knight was involved in different activities. One of the most famous was when the Scarlet Knight and Sparty were the subject of a short commercial for ESPN:

The Scarlet Knight has been a video star for a long while. Here is one from a few years ago, that demonstrates just what a Big Man on Campus the Scarlet Knight is to the students:

Finally, the Scarlet Knight is such an integral part of the scene at Rutgers that he was even the subject of an April Fool’s hoax just prior to our joining the Big Ten in 2014. In this short, a Rutgers “spokesperson” announces that the Scarlet Knight will be replaced by the goldfinch (which is the NJ State Bird, for those not in the know)

Wonder what it is like to be the Scarlet Knight? What does it take to be such an iconic figure? Well, just take a look at this!

Think this is just an amazing way to spend your time? Wish you had the opportunity to be someone as cool as the Scarlet Knight? Fear not, dear reader. It is not beyond your grasp. Perhaps not for THIS year, but periodically, the opportunity arises where you too can be the Scarlet Knight!

That’s right, you too can be the Scarlet Knight. If that ever occurs, then YOU will be yet another reason why it is great to be a fan of Rutgers football!