Chief Osceola and Renegade - Previous Mascots

Previous Mascots

Prior to the introduction of Osceola and Renegade, the Florida State Seminoles used several different Native American-themed mascots. The first was Sammy Seminole, introduced at the FSU Pow Wow in 1958 for football games. This mascot was portrayed by a white male member of the gymnastics or circus programs, who performed wild stunts in garish faux-Native American garb. The gymnastics program's sponsorship of Sammy Seminole ended in 1968, but the character was quickly reintroduced. In the late 1960s Chief Fullabull emerged as a mascot during basketball games. Like Sammy Seminole he donned cartoonish Native American-themed outfits, and performed even more clownish stunts. Under protest from Native American groups the character's name was altered to Chief Wampumstompum, though this did nothing to assuage the concerns of protesters. The character was then replaced with a somewhat more traditionally dressed figure named Yahola, also known as the "spirit chief". All of these mascots were eventually retired, and officials decided to find a more respectful representative for the school's teams.