The duties of a mascot seem pretty basic. You cheer for the home team, jump up and down to hype up the crowd, and then cheer for the home team some more. But for SF State’s Gator, it’s not always easy being purple and green.

“Nothing kills the night more than being punched in the stomach by some kid,” said 18-year-old Josh Roberts.

Roberts, a freshman, is this year's man behind the Gator mask. But his mascot skills go back further than the big green suit he wears.

Roberts attended Salinas High School where he played the mascot, Woody the Cowboy. Though it was only for half a year, Roberts was still able to pinpoint a major difference in school spirit between his high school and SF State.

“Crowds are definitely more enthusiastic in high school,” he said.

Nevertheless, enthusiasm is the least of his worries. According to Roberts, the Gator suit is as heavy as it looks and at times he feels like he’s wearing a big carpet.

“It’s pretty hard to breathe,” Roberts said. “Plus there’s some mildew inside of it.”

Still, Roberts does his best to attend as many games as he can as the big green bulky Gator.

Aside from being the mascot, Roberts also has his academic obligations. The astronomy major tries not to let his mascot duties affect his schooling, but he said he has to plan studying time around the various sporting events he’s required to attend. Even his personal time has taken hits here and there.

“It does take away from my free time,” said Roberts, who is content with the sacrifice. “I usually just tell my friends that I’m gonna ‘go gator’ and they know what I mean.”

He said a few people, including his friends, already know that he is the Gator, so he doesn’t focus too much on hiding his identity, as is usual for mascot etiquette.

“I’m friends with UC Irvine’s Aardvark,” said Roberts, who refused to disclose her identity. “They take the mascot there more seriously than we do here.”

Despite the uncomfortable hours he has spent in the suit and all the little children he has traumatized with his jagged Gator teeth, Roberts said being the school mascot has been a lot of fun and it does have its perks.

For instance, he described the Gator suit as being sort of a chick magnet. So it was no surprise when political science major Michelle Avelino, 23, gushed about how cute she thought the Gator mascot was.

"I especially love the chant," chuckled Avelino. "Go Gators, chomp chomp."

Still, Roberts points out one major setback.

“When I’m wearing the suit, girls always come up and hug me and get all flirty,” he boasted. “But I can walk by the same girl without the suit on and I’ll get nothing.”