Oct. 31, 2003

Charleston, SC - Generally speaking, The Citadel's new four-legged mascot is the most popular thing to hit The Military College of South Carolina since weekend leave was invented.

"He's more than just the mascot for the athletic department," assistant athletic director Mike Groshon said Thursday. "He's the mascot for the entire campus."

But General, the Bulldogs' official bulldog, is best known this week as a football good-luck charm. The Citadel is enjoying its best season in a decade and can take over first place in the Southern Conference standings Saturday with a home victory over Wofford. The first live mascot to reside on campus since the 1960s, General has grown to 41 pounds of sad-faced charm since he arrived in August as a puppy donated by the Class of 2003.

The bloodline is gridiron royalty: This five-star General is the nephew of UGA VI, the latest in the line of famed University of Georgia mascots. And talk about pampered: General takes to the sidelines with a scale of a Citadel barracks, air conditioned and built by Groshon. Between overnight stays at Groshon's home, the 5-month-old bulldog stays in and around Groshon's McAlister Field House office.