Thirty miles east of Memphis, in the sprawling landscape of St. Nix’s Farm in Collierville, the 550-pound embodiment of the spirit of The University of Memphis stretches lazily in the late afternoon sunshine.
Tom II, mascot for The U of M, came to the school in the fall of 1992, and is present at every football game, as well as at numerous basketball, baseball, soccer and women’s basketball games.
“He’s basically a big, fat, lazy wuss,” said Bobby Wharton, president of G & W Diesel Services, Inc. A 1975 graduate of The U of M, Wharton was president of the Highland Hundred, the football team’s booster group, in 1992, and worked to bring Tom II to The U of M.
One of four people who work hands-on with the 10-year old Bengal, Wharton said he pets the tiger, but he and the others know never to turn their backs on him when in his habitat.
“A tiger’s instinct is to attack when your back is turned,” Wharton said.
Wharton said he and the others allowed into the cage with Tom were put through a little bit of basic training to learn how to deal with him.
Tom’s 3,500 square-foot, $300,000 habitat is equipped with two pools, a waterfall and heating and air conditioning. However, none of the costs of his living expenses or his home were funded by The University. Alumni donate the $12,000-$15,000 needed annually to take care of the giant prowler.
Tom’s life consists of lounging by the pool, playing with hard plastic balls twice the size of basketballs, consuming 20 pounds of raw beef a day and, of course, visiting U of M sporting events. He also loves to play with a beer keg filled with foam that floats in his pools. The reason he always seems to be sleepy is because male tigers sleep 80 percent of their lives.
“He loves to get in the pool and then jump up on the bars and get you soaking wet. And then he smiles,” Wharton said. “He loves people and he’s very personable.”
Some people have complained that the trailer in which Tom II travels to games appears too small for the massive cat, but Wharton said the 4-foot by 8-foot trailer is more than big enough for the mascot. Tennessee Wildlife actually wanted it to be smaller, for Tom’s safety, but the owners, the Highland Hundred, decided to compensate in other ways.
“We always drive extremely carefully so that he doesn’t get jostled on the road,” Wharton added.
Equipped with a spring system, the 3,000-pound trailer is virtually soundproof and is completely climate controlled.
“Tom likes it cold. He doesn’t like it hot. I’ve seen him break ice to get to the water in his pool to swim,” Wharton said. He said the noise at the games doesn’t bother the tiger because of the soundproofing, and Tom II has a police escort everywhere he goes.
“We sometimes have to drive kind of fast to keep away from traffic, but we are careful not to stop abruptly or turn too sharply,” Wharton said.
The history of the mascot of The U of M is long-running.
The final game of the season in 1914 marked the first time The University of Memphis football players were called Tigers, during a victory parade when students began shouting “We fight like tigers!”
The nickname “Tigers” took several years to catch on, but it was finally adopted as the official mascot of the school in 1939.
The original Tom the Tiger was introduced to The University of Memphis in November of 1972. Bought by the Highland Hundred for $1,500, Tom lived as a baby in the garage of Bill Proctor, guarded by Proctor’s hound dog, for several months. He was eventually moved to his home at the Memphis Zoo, where he lived his entire life of 20 years.
A contest was held to establish his name, with entries ranging from name like Shane to Touchdown to Bengie Wougie Bengal Boy from Tennessee. Tom was the final decision, the name being an acronym for “Tigers of Memphis.” He grew to weigh 550 pounds, at one time the largest Bengal tiger in captivity.
Tom died in February of 1992, and was replaced by Tom II. Photos of the tiger, taken by Melissa Moore from the athletic department, are available online at www.gotigersgo.com under “traditions,” then “Memphis Tigers Present Tom II.”
Although Tom II can only be seen by appointment at the private St. Nix’s Farm, students are invited to come and see him at football games and other sporting events where he may show up, yawning and twitching his tail.
