NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina State has "Tuffy the Wolf." Tennessee has "Smokey" the coonhound. And the Georgia Bulldogs, of course, have "Uga" the Bulldog, perhaps the most famous canine mascot in sports.
And while Old Dominion's mascot is Big Blue, a student dressed as a furry Lion with floppy feet, the football team will also have an unofficial canine mascot named "Hudson" for the next two seasons.
Hudson is a 9-week-old yellow Labrador who was in a sense a Father's Day gift from Jen Rahne to her husband Ricky, ODU's head football coach.
Ricky Rahne had told Jen that he thought they had enough dogs. They already have Kodiak – a lovable, five-year-old St. Bernard who is often seen dragging Ricky as he and Jen take him on a walk – and Lady, a Bulldog who at 10 ½ years old has outlived the expected lifespan for Bulldogs.
"He told me no more dogs," Jen said. "And it's not just dogs. It's no more living, breathing things in our house."
An aside here: Ricky acknowledged at practice this week that this is a battle he knows he will lose.
"I've said no about 422 times," he said, smiling. "I don't know how many I have left in me.
"She knows that. So, it's a battle of attrition that we all know she will win."
In the meantime, Jen got her husband's football team a team dog.
It all started when she connected with Brooke Corson, executive director of Mutts With A Mission, a non-profit organization that provides service dogs to veterans or first responders who are disabled or suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome. They met when their sons, Silas Corson and Jake Rahne, joined the same lacrosse team.
Brooke Corson, who is a veteran, founded the Norfolk-based Mutts With A Mission in 2008.
"She started the business after she saw that whenever she brought her dog around, it lifted everyone's spirits," Jen said. "PTSD is a silent problem. So, whenever she gets the chance, she takes the puppies around those guys."
Corson is training Hudson, who lives with her. She often takes Hudson to mingle with sailors and officers aboard the USS George Bush.
The dogs are not given to vets until they're two years old and, in the meantime, they need tons of socialization.
"They're learning to be well-behaved dogs, learning all of their manners," Jen said.
"Being in the weight room where it's loud and there are tons of people, and in the locker room where there are a lot of smells, that's just great training."
Why Hudson? That name was chosen by about 30 players. "King" finished a distant second and "Reign" a distant third.
He is named for Hudson Blue, the light blue color the Monarchs don for special occasions. The team color was named for long-time ODU Sports Information Director, Carol Hudson.
Jen says they're looking for a Hudson Blue jersey for Hudson, and that her youngest son, Jake, has picked out the number – ½.
Things did not get off to a swimming start when Jen presented Ricky with Hudson's birth certificate on Father's Day.
As she explained the deal, she said Ricky didn't seem thrilled. And on the face of it, it's not a great deal.
The Rahne family purchased the dog, a pure bred, paid to get it vaccinated and for it to eat. And it's not really their dog.
"I don't think Ricky really bought into it originally," Jen said.
But he's sure bought into it now. And you can't blame him. Who doesn't love puppies?
Whenever Ricky is asked about Hudson by the media, his eyes light up and he's more expressive.
But it took more than just a cute face to win Rahne's approval. He's all in favor of doing just about anything to help veterans or first responders.
"It's such a great thing to spend time with a dog that you know is going to improve the life of a veteran," he said.
Hudson was chosen from among a litter of eight dogs last month, and Ricky left it to his players to pick which pooch they liked. Jen was there and said the players absolutely melted when they saw the puppies running down the hallway.
"The guys were flocking all over them," she said.
In the end, Hudson chose the Monarchs as much as they chose him.
"We were taking pictures of the dogs with our players and when it was done, the guys put all the dogs on the ground," Ricky said.
"The other dogs ran over to their trainer. Hudson stood right there next to our guys.
"He already knew he was with us."
Wide receiver Ali Jennings III said by then, Hudson had already begun bonding with the players.
"A few of us had dinner at coach Rahne's house and he told us about getting a team dog," he said.
"Everybody picked Hudson. He's been that guy from the first time we saw him.
"I love Hudson. Whenever he walks into a room, he brightens everyone's day."
Is he truly a football pup? It would seem so. ODU has cold baths for players, with perhaps four parts water and one part ice, in large tubs in which several players can fit.
"He got in the cold tub the other day with the guys and loved it," Ricky said.
"Seeing Hudson is a great little moment to maybe bring back some humanity into things when maybe you haven't had that practice that you wanted," Ricky added. "Or you had a great practice and all of a sudden having a puppy in your hands brings a little humility to you."
And it's not just ODU's players who will be affected by Hudson. He will attend ODU home games and Jennings said the plan is to teach him to run out after ODU kickoffs and fetch the kicking tee, just like Cowboy Kohl, the Boise State dog who became something of an internet star before passing away last year.
Given how cute he is, Hudson is destined to become a fan favorite, and perhaps a Twitter star.
Hudson gained his own Twitter account and within a few days, has more than 250 followers and growing.
Link to Hudson on Twitter
"He's a cool dog," running back Blake Watson said. "Everyone loves the idea of having a team dog."
"I wasn't here to pick him," linebacker Ryan Henry added. "But I like the dog we chose."
And he won't be the last dog in the Rahne household, nor likely at ODU.
"When the (ODU) lacrosse players saw Hudson, they were like, 'when do we get our puppy,'" Jen said.
"We're hoping other teams on campus will adopt Mutts With A Mission Dogs."
As for getting a third family dog, Jen has already declared victory.
"I told him that it's coming in January," she said. "We'll be at a bowl game for Christmas.
"So, we will be getting her," she added with emphasis on that final word, "after the bowl game."
Minium: ODU Football Has Adopted an Adorable Yellow Lab Named Hudson as a Team Mascot
