The Most Popular Mascots in the NFL

NFL is a great family sport, an enjoyable event for young and old alike to enjoy. But although the action on the field may be the main source of entertainment, there’s plenty of other things to watch out for too - such as the mascot.

Most of the NFL teams have a mascot, apart from a few, including the Giants, Green Bay Packers and the Jets. Their giant foam-filled or furry heads may be a common sight at the NFL games, but how much do you really know about them?

There are many NFL mascots, but here's a closer look at some of the most popular.

Real life bears may look cuddly, but with sharp teeth and claws, there's no way to get too close - but thankfully, that's not the case with Staley Da Bear. The official mascot of the Chicago Bears, Staley Da Bear, only arrived in 2003 despite the fact that the team is one of the charter members of the NFL.

Staley gets his name from the team's first sponsor, Staley Starch Company. But the team was originally called the Bears because the owner, George Halas, wanted to one-up the MLB team, the Chicago Cubs. He thought that NFL players should be larger than life and certainly bigger and better than baseball team players!

As well as putting in appearances at Chicago, Staley was selected as a Pro Bowl mascot three times - 2004, 2006 and 2007, where he competed with other mascots during the halftime entertainment.

In keeping with the equine-themed name of the team, the mascot of Denver is a horse: Miles. He arrived in 1999 to mark the Broncos winning the Super Bowl for the second time but wasn’t actually seen regularly for another two years. 

The Broncos stadium is called Mile High, so the mascot is named after the home ground. 

Miles is a real fans' favourite and regularly appears in community projects, not just at the Broncos games.

There are many bird mascots in the NFL, such as Big Red for Arizona and Blitz for Seattle Seahawks, but arguably the cutest of them all is Poe for the Baltimore Ravens. 

The name may seem random, but the mascot is named after Edgar Allen Poe, the famous 19th century poet. Not only did Poe live in Baltimore, Maryland, but he also wrote The Raven while residing there. 

The Ravens were originally named after the same poem by Edgar Allen Poe but left it to the public to name their mascot. After a poll, the name Poe was chosen as the most popular, a choice which links everything together beautifully.

The last entry on our list is included to prove that you don't need to be an anthropomorphic animal or bird to become a mascot. Dallas Cowboys were one of the biggest teams of the 1990s, and Rowdy came along in 1996 to join in with the fun. 

Rowdy is a cowboy figure who wears a stetson and a football shirt, an unusual combination! He was originally called Big D but was renamed Rowdy when he was officially launched in 1996. 

The inspiration for Rowdy was the unofficial mascot of the Dallas Cowboys: Crazy Ray. A pennant seller who first appeared in 1962, he was loved by the crowds for his magic tricks, cowboy outfits, whistle and hobby horse. Rowdy took over from him in 1996, but Crazy Ray carried on coming to the games until his death in 2007.