PB: What kind of pre-game meal do you partake in?

SK: Hot dogs, hamburgers, my aunt's meatballs and light beer. Amstel Light is great, but if you're hanging out with your friends, it's more like Coors Light or Natural Light.

PB: Does the Scarlet Knight get much lovin'?

SK: I've gotten lovin' from ages six to 60. The Knight doesn't do badly in that department.

PB: What other mascots do you admire?

SK: The leprechaun from Notre Dame and the Virginia Hokie. The Hokie actually moved on -- he's the Baltimore Raven now.

PB: Is a pro gig something you see in your future?

SK: It's always something to think about. I was approached by a couple minor league teams, but it didn't work out with my schedule.

PB: You'd forfeit your amateur status if you took a pro gig, though.

SK: If I skip out, I won't get my degree. It's something every mascot in the upper echelon must battle. The pressure is incredible; scouts coming out to games and practices, trying to lure me. My mom told me to stick it out another year, get a few more tricks under my belt and take my game to a higher level. The money will always be there.

PB: How did you get the job?

SK: They have tryouts, and it helped that I knew the kid that did it before. You dance with the cheerleaders and walk around in the big shoes. Nothing I couldn't handle.

PB: Is there an off-season workout routine that you follow?

SK: A lot of beer. Lots of carbs.

PB: Have you ever competed for a mascot national championship?

SK: No, but hopefully this is the year. I learned last year that niceness wins games, but cockiness wins championships. It's the cocky mascot that wins the hearts of the cheerleaders.

PB: How does the Knight celebrate a big win?

SK: The way we celebrate anything at Rutgers -- heavy drinking.

PB: Any funny interactions with the players?

SK: The Rutgers kicker chewed a lot of tobacco and would come looking for me for some while the game was going on.

PB: Do you chew during games?

SK: Not usually. I don't have anywhere to spit.

PB: Have you ever been hurt in the line of duty?

SK: My first game, I was taken to the hospital with dehydration. It was August and I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I was running around, and next thing I knew, I was on my back. Sometimes the linebackers rough me up before the game, which is fun. I'll go for the high-five and end up on my back. I've gotten a lot of blisters on my feet -- the shoes are made out of thick Styrofoam, so there's a lot of moisture down there. Hopefully someday we'll have an air-conditioned mascot uniform. Until then, my off-season workout routine helps prevent injury.

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