Traveler is a purebred Andalusian horse and is the mascot of the University of Southern California. He appears at all USC home football games in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as well as many outdoor events, including the Rose Bowl Parade.
Traveler – The USC Trojans Mascot
The USC mascot is Traveler. The rider is often mistaken for Tommy Trojan, the Trojan portrayed in USC’s famous Trojan Shrine statue, however, he is unnamed and simply designated as a Trojan warrior with Traveler being the official USC Trojan mascot.
Traveler was introduced in the Fall of 1961, during the USC Trojans football home opener at the Coliseum, against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Trojan Shrine
The Trojan Shrine – commonly known as Tommy Trojan – is one of the most recognizable figures of USC school pride. The life size bronze statue sits in the center of the USC campus and serves as a popular meeting spot for students, as well as a centerpiece for a number of campus events.
Inscribed on the base of the statue are the five attributes of the ideal Trojan: Faithful, Scholarly, Skillful, Courageous and Ambitious. On the reverse is a plaque bearing a quote by Virgil: Here are provided seats of meditative joy, where shall rise again the destined reign of Troy.
Officially, Tommy Trojan is not USC’s official mascot. Still, many people have come to identify Tommy Trojan as the symbol of the University. Traveler’s rider is often assumed to be Tommy Trojan, but although the costume was designed after Tommy Trojan, it is not officially stated as being Tommy Trojan. He is known only as the Trojan Warrior.
Before Traveler, a dog named George Tirebiter served as the USC’s unofficial mascot.
