Obie the Tiger
In 1938, new Massillon football coach Paul Brown had the idea to have a costumed mascot who could fire up the crowd on a Friday night. New band director George “Red” Bird took Brown’s idea a step further and used his Hollywood entertainment connections to purchase a real tiger skin and have it made into a costume that a student could wear. With an “O” for orange, and “B” for black (the school colors), ‘Obie the Tiger’ was born.
The first Obie was Paul “Pep” Paulson, who was struggling on on the football team when Brown asked him to see Bird about the role of the band mascot. Paulson threw himself into the role, with his sideline/halftime performances influenced by comedic acts that Bird had witnessed during his time on the vaudeville circuit. Paulson portrayed Obie for two years and returned on many occasions to reprise his role or to lend support to the new Obie.
Through the years the costume has been replaced as it has worn out. It has evolved from a real tiger skin (obtained from tigers that died of natural causes) to synthetic parts, and in 2019 to the first fully synthetic Obie custom built to look like a wild tiger.
Obie has become a fixture at halftime shows, band shows, parades, and community events. Over 60 students have donned the Obie costume, each one bringing a mixture of tradition and new personality to the mascot!
Obie Through the Years
| 2023 | Adrianna Kennedy |
| 2022 | Jasmine Mazariegos Shelby Rohr (alternate) |
| 2021 | Jasmine Mazariegos |
| 2020 | Grace Muzi |
| 2019 | Ben McArthur |
| 2018 | Michaela Paul |
| 2017 | Madison Alt |
| 2016 | Molly Gresh |
| 2015 | Stephanie Hodge |
| 2014 | Stephanie Hodge |
| 2013 | Justin Wilson |
| 2012 | Justin Wilson |
| 2011 | Alex Constable |
| 2010 | Danae Garrettson Alex Constable |
| 2009 | Levi Hawk |
| 2008 | Alyssa Thornberry |
| 2007 | Maurissa Garrettson |
| 2006 | Tria Byard |
| 2005 | Samantha Garlock |
| 2004 | Emily Barker |
| 2003 | Vickie Palmer |
| 2002 | Maggie Larke |
| 2001 | Rachel Coffey |
| 2000 | Sean Toth |
| 1999 | Sean Toth |
| 1998 | Christa Lancaster |
| 1997 | Don Haring |
| 1996 | Jason Harris |
| 1995 | Bob McVay |
| 1994 | Ryan Rogers |
| 1993 | Ryan Rogers |
| 1992 | Brett Chovan |
| 1991 | Brett Chovan |
| 1990 | Brian Weller |
| 1989 | Chris Hoffner |
| 1988 | Ben Smith |
| 1987 | Dan Jones |
| 1986 | Dan Jones |
| 1985 | Ken Kendrick |
| 1984 | Ken Kendrick |
| 1983 | Ken Kendrick |
| 1982 | Mike Giltz |
| 1981 | Jeff Brownlee |
| 1980 | David Crews |
| 1979 | Jimmie Stewart |
| 1978 | Fred Alexander |
| 1977 | Tom Ickes |
| 1976 | Tom Ickes |
| 1975 | Kent Henderson |
| 1974 | Cheryl Harris First female to portray Obie. |
| 1973 | Bob Geise |
| 1972 | Richard Fink |
| 1971 | Richard Fink |
| 1970 | Richard Fink |
| 1969 | Greg Gillins |
| 1968 | Jim Harper |
| 1967 | Steve Miller |
| 1966 | Steve Miller |
| 1965 | Dennis Ford |
| 1964 | John McQueen |
| 1963 | Ed Voshall |
| 1962 | Robert Laase |
| 1961 | Mike Norton |
| 1960 | Mike Norton |
| 1959 | Jerry Fowler |
| 1958 | Jerry Fowler |
| 1957 | Larry Malone |
| 1956 | Bob Willgohs |
| 1955 | Bob Fowler |
| 1954 | Lee Bailey |
| 1953 | Dick Siegmund |
| 1952 | Dick Siegmund |
| 1951 | Dick Snyder |
| 1950 | Dick Snyder |
| 1949 | Bob Heintzelman |
| 1948 | Bob Heintzelman |
| 1947 | Gary Harper |
| 1946 | Jack Paramore |
| 1945 | Jack Paramore |
| 1944 | Maurice “Doc” Luckner William Luttrell Harley Ware (Obiedia) Luckner died of a heart attack just before the season started. Luttrell filled in as Obie even though he had just graduated. Obiedia was the “child” of Obie used throughout that season, a “junior mascot” of sorts. |
| 1943 | Vernon Hunsinger |
| 1942 | Bill Weisgarber |
| 1941 | Jim Stuhldreher |
| 1940 | Bob Farkas |
| 1939 | Paul “Pep” Paulson |
| 1938 | Paul “Pep” Paulson |
