You can call Erran Huber “Louie.” The 23-year-old U of L graduate student has been a Cards mascot for the past five years. For home football games, Huber, who lives in an Old Louisville apartment, loads his suit into his Chevy HHR and heads to Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium more than three hours before kickoff. In this photo essay, Huber helps fellow mascot Nick Tibbs, a U of L senior, get into character inside a stadium locker room they share with cheerleaders, equipment managers and referees, who dress in their own separate section.
Huber and Tibbs both have a suit, and each does Louie for a half. (They travel to road games when possible.) And the two attend a three-day mascot camp in Myrtle Beach in the summer to learn new dance moves. They also pick up ideas by watching other mascot performances on YouTube. Best song to dance to? Huber likes “More,” by Usher. Does it smell in the Cardinal suit? “We keep the suits as clean and fresh as possible,” Huber says. The key to combing the fur? “Be gentle,” he says. “Any fur that comes out isn’t growing back.”
Article written by Gail Kamenish
This article appears in the October issue of Louisville Magazine. To subscribe to Louisville Magazine, click here.
