Wildcat DA alum David McClay

Behind the Whiskers: Identity of Davidson's Mr. Cat mascot is revealed after 4 years
by SAM BOYKIN
The Charlotte Observer, February 28, 2008.

David McClay is about to say goodbye to a dear friend.

The Davidson College senior is graduating this summer, and as the 21-year-old makes his way into the world, he must leave some things behind.

While it will be hard to part ways with his friends, he said, there's one farewell that's sure to be particularly difficult. They've been extremely close for the past four years.

McClay often lugs him around campus in a big blue bag, and they've spent countless hours together cheering and running around. Yes, after an unprecedented four years and some 100 games, McClay is about hang up his Mr. Cat suit for good.

Mr. Cat is the Davidson College Wildcat mascot. He's an integral part of the cheerleading squad and appears at all home football and basketball games, as well as community events.

McClay has been donning the brown acrylic suit with the fake fur, whiskers and long tail since 2004. While Mr. Cat's true identity has been kept a secret, it was unveiled during Senior Night at the Davidson College-Appalachian State men's basketball game on Wednesday.

McClay's final performance as Mr. Cat will be March 1, when the women's basketball team takes on College of Charleston.

"It hasn't really hit me yet," McClay said a few weeks before his final performance. "But I know it's going to be really hard to leave it behind because what it's meant to me and how much fun I've had."

McClay's first adventure as a mascot wasn't as a wildcat, but a squirrel. He grew up in Durham, where his high school and the Parks and Recreation Department hosted the Special Olympics, and McClay, along with other students, often volunteered at the annual event.

McClay had vocal chord surgery during his junior year and couldn't speak, so he figured he'd sit out that year's games. "But then parks and recreation said they needed someone to be their mascot -- Mr. Squirrel," McClay said. "Squirrels don't speak, so I figured `why not,' and put on the suit, complete with a giant, 20-pound tail."

McClay, who had caught the acting bug after performing in a high school production of "Grease," said he loved the experience. He even volunteered to be Mr. Squirrel the following year.

So when McClay learned during his freshman year at Davidson College that the school was looking for a new Mr. Cat, he figured he'd give it a shot. As part of the audition, he performed during the first half of the homecoming football game. "That was it," said McClay. "From there on out, I've been Mr. Cat."

When McClay assumed the role of Mr. Cat, he was carrying on a Davidson College tradition that dates back more than 90 years.

According to the Davidson College archives, on Nov. 10, 1917, the Davidson football team traveled to Atlanta to play Auburn, which was described by the Atlanta newspaper as "the heaviest team in the South."

Against the odds, Davidson beat the heavily favored Auburn team, 21-7. The upset prompted one Atlanta reporter to write about how the small but ferocious "wildcats" from Davidson were able to overwhelm one of the most formidable teams in the South, according to the archives.

The name stuck, replacing some other less-intimidating nicknames like the Presbyterians and Preachers.

According to Jan Blodgett, Davidson College archivist and records management coordinator, the college used actual live wildcats as mascots until the early 1960s.

In 1962, a student named Kaki Williams donned a cat suit (and went by the name of Wildkitten). Since then, dozens of students have filled the role.

But according to Jeanette Scire, who's been the Wildcat cheerleading coach since 1990, McClay is unique in that he's one of the few, and perhaps the only, student who has played Mr. Cat for most of four years in a row, missing only the fall semester last year, when he studied abroad in London.

Moreover, in years past, it was common for several students to play Mr. Cat and rotate appearances, depending on their schedules. With the exception of the one semester last year, McClay has been the only Mr. Cat during the four years.

"Finding just the right person to be the Wildcat has always been a difficult process," said Scire.

"It's a huge time commitment, which is difficult with the academic rigors of Davidson College. We have had some very committed mascots in the past, but no one has had the ability to make Mr. Cat come alive like David. He's given Mr. Cat a personality of his own."

McClay, who is a lanky 6 feet 3 inches tall, is an English major and vice president of Davidson's co-ed a cappella group, Androgyny. Over the years he's performed in numerous Davidson College plays, including "Romeo and Juliet" and "Much Ado About Nothing."

He says his background in theater has helped him play the role of the mascot. "Mr. Cat has one expression," said McClay. "But there are times when he has to be mad, frowning, scared. He has to show all these different emotions. And it all comes down to body language, to nonverbal communication."

Being Mr. Cat also requires mental stamina, as McClay has to be creative, think quickly, improvise and interact with a wide variety of people -- from rabid fans to little kids.

"Some can be relentless, especially when you have a tail and whiskers that are begging to be pulled, which is a little trying. But I still love it. I'd say the biggest part of my Davidson College experience has been Mr. Cat."

Which makes the fact that McClay has to turn over the suit to someone else all the more difficult. He and Scire have been holding auditions for the past few months.

"It's really weird finding someone to replace yourself," said McClay. "It needs to be someone who is animated and spirited, and I don't think that'll be a tall order to find here at Davidson."

McClay, who is scheduled to graduate May 18, said his ultimate goal is to head to California and try his luck at acting. But he's not quite ready to leave the area.

In fact he's been mulling over another opportunity, and is hoping to go from a wildcat to a panther. He recently put his name in the hat to be the next Sir Purr, the Carolina Panthers' mascot.