Behind the buzz: Going inside the hive with longtime Charlotte Hornets mascot, Hugo

With each step and every flop in his signature oversized white Jordans, the crowd multiplies, making it harder to put one foot in front of the other before being mobbed.

Grown men with beards the shade of rain clouds pull out their cellphones and cut through the onlookers, positioning themselves for the perfect selfie. It’s like a Hollywood star is in the building, traversing the Spectrum Center concourse and unabashedly waltzing to their seat while also playing the role of a human magnet.

“He keeps everything going,” fan Vronn Pride said after an up-close encounter with the man of the hour. “He keeps the crowd going, he keeps the team spirit up. We appreciate everything he does — 35 years strong.”

All this commotion isn’t for someone whose face is plastered on a movie screen.

They’re going wild for the Charlotte Hornets’ lovable mascot Hugo the Hornet, sparking a scene that’s mirrored nearly anytime he’s spotted. The routine dates back to the franchise’s early years at the Charlotte Coliseum, not along after Hugo was unveiled by Cheryl Henson, the daughter of famed Muppets creator Jim Henson. She took noted designer Alexander Julian’s two-dimensional sketch of an angry bee and brought it to life.

Henson’s vision spawned countless keepsake moments, where mingling with fans while alternating between Hugo and his alter ego, Super Hugo, is a common occurrence.

“Yeah, that was fun,” said Michael Zerrillo, who served as Hornets’ mascot from 1990-2002. “That’s what our owner George Shinn used to tell me. ‘I don’t want to go anywhere with you. Everybody likes you way better than they do me, even some of the players sometimes.’ “

And it wasn’t that they liked him more, but there’s a different demographic.

“If you’re going to an elementary school, yeah, there’s a 7-foot guy or a big guy, but there’s a costume character. So people, they want to come up and give you hugs, and the players are a little more intimidating. So, not everybody wants to come up to you. So, it’s fun, yeah. That’s the fun part of it. People get excited and want to take a picture with you. And nobody wants to take a picture with Michael Zerrillo, but Hugo …”

Welcome to the life and times of a mascot, a grueling job that can pay well — although not as lucrative as reported, according to league sources — but is occasionally thankless, features long hours and can lead to enough surgical procedures to keep a doctor’s business booming.

In just a matter of hours, Hugo shifts between an array of tasks, serving as a baby kisser, flag waver, liaison, waiter and a pregame hype person to name a few. But this isn’t Zerrillo underneath all that garb these days.

That distinction goes to someone else now, and that person has carried the Hornets’ proverbial mascot torch since 2014 cloaked in anonymity. The Observer is not naming the individual to protect his identity, allowing him to continue the veil of secrecy akin to Clark Kent and Superman.

Being incognito is a part of the gig, and Zerrillo stayed out of any limelight during his time in Charlotte before Shinn moved the franchise to New Orleans in 2002 and he followed him, remaining in his post as the team’s mascot. Zerrillo is an introvert by nature, just like the current person inside the 38-pound outfit, which allows him to transform into somebody else for a couple of hours.

“Yeah, well, I think it was kind of a little liberating,” Zerrillo said. “I’m not such a big showman. You have to be in a costume. So, it was kind of a good outlet for me for 17 years to be able to be very extroverted and be able to do things I would never do as Michael Zerrillo. Some days it is a little tougher, but I always felt once I got that costume on and got into it, it’s like, you’ve got this big smile on your face. And you’re actually smiling a lot in the costume, too.

“There were times where it was miserably hot or a difficult situation, but it really wasn’t that hard to try to be happy when you’re just trying to make other people happy. So, I thought it was a kind of a fun job for that aspect.”

Winding path before becoming Hugo

The road to mascot success is littered with potholes, though, and the winding path isn’t easy to navigate. Many of the most successful mascots are former gymnasts, combining their athletic talents with a penchant for method acting to enhance the fan experience.

Although he started as an entertainer at age 8 as a halftime tumbler for one NBA team, Charlotte’s current Hugo initially had his sights set on a career in education. A conversation with his academic advisor convinced him to switch paths, instead opting to intertwine his two loves: sports and gymnastics.

He got a position in one NBA city as the team’s mascot assistant and was a member of their dunk team, setting the stage for a move to another NBA franchise for his first true role as a mascot and a team’s lead entertainer. A goal of doing the gig for only two years was on his mind at the time, just until he figured out something else.

That was 16 years ago. He’s up to 18 as a full-time NBA mascot now, and leans on all of that experience. Sure, there’s an array of occasions off the court where he has to appear, such as a Charlotte Checkers game to have a little fun with Chubby, the mascot of the city’s American Hockey League team.

Events the Hornets put on to benefit the military and less fortunate families are also frequent occurrences. Plus, there’s the Hornets’ book bus, which is a full-service literacy vehicle used to inspire elementary school-aged children to develop a passion for reading. Visiting hospitals and attending birthday parties, weddings, parades, galas and non-profit gatherings are also on the docket for Hugo, whose name was selected during a fan solicitation process in the franchise’s early days.

But Hugo really earns his paycheck during games, utilizing the athletic talents that separate some of pro sport’s best mascots. Whether it’s scaling down from the rafters like the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Crunch the Wolf or Atlanta Hawks’ Skyhawk causing mischief, completing the captivating stunts on a nightly basis takes serious skills.

So does hitting the trampoline at the correct moment while a basketball is hovering in the air, waiting to be snatched up and thrown down in an acrobatic dunk. That’s what Hugo, a.k.a. Super Hugo or OG Hugo, is on the hook for nightly. Along with developing an unbreakable mentality.

The current Hugo hasn’t missed a game yet and doesn’t really have an understudy..

“He’s putting so much thought and effort into the Hugo persona, because it is a character,” Hornets senior vice president of fan experience Jason Simon said. “He can’t just go out there and act like himself or act how he’s feeling that day. It’s like once he puts that uniform on, he is Hugo.”

“... And then you add the Super Hugo layer which, looking across the NBA, there’s very few mascots that are able to do the kind of things he’s able to do physically when it comes to Super Hugo and dunking on the mat and tramp. That is not just something he can come out, warm up for 30 minutes on a game day and be ready to go.”

The job is relentless and definitely not for the faint, as evidenced by the number of medical procedures for Zerrillo.

“You had 13 years of gymnastics on your body and then 17 years of mascot, it takes a lot of toll, especially the way that some of us did it,” Zerrillo said. “But I’ve had a lot of things that went wrong. I had 16 surgeries, so it’s taken its toll and there might be more as I move toward 59.

“... I just had my back, my lower back fused a year ago in November. A torn Achilles, shoulder, knees. Our team doctor, somebody posted a picture of Hugo. And he’s retired now, but he was like, ‘Yeah, Mike helped me retire early.’”

A typical game day

Things, as Simon mentioned, don’t just fall into place for Hugo. The routine is elaborately planned from the moment he arrives in the building around 3:15 p.m. on game days, nearly some four hours prior to tip-off.

On this particular evening, armed with a duffel bag, he shuffles to the “secret” and unmarked dressing room to get things started. Upon arrival, the first thing is a wardrobe check. Can’t forget those tights to wear with the Super Hugo outfit.

Equally significant: three bottles of Powerade, all to ensure he keep his cool and hydrated. It gets hot in the heavy, furry attire and air circulation is non-existent. He sweats a lot, often causing weight loss — as in multiple pounds. He washes the costume when it’s used on consecutive nights to rid any postgame stench.

There’s also a hefty portion of Icy Hot on hand.Strenuous activity can take its toll and it certainly has recently, with his banged up left shoulder making it difficult to raise his arm above his head on this particular night. But no one can know because the show, just like a lead actor in a Broadway musical, must go on.

Even if this is the eighth appearance in the 14 days.

A rolling cart loaded with all of Hugo’s special threads, filled by items like flashy sports coats and enlarged footwear resembling Jordan 5s and Jordan 12s, gets pulled into the room. Everything is in order, he sees upon scanning through the cart’s contents, which isn’t always the case because the Hornets have been on the road a lot over the past month.

“We are very fortunate,” said Seth Bennett, the Hornets chief marketing officer. “I’ve only had two people in my 18 years in the fur, which is kind of the term they refer to in the mascot industry. But they are really committed to it. It’s a special, unique task and I think those that get to do it for a living, it’s probably pretty cool.”

Although far from easy.

“It is definitely not just someone showing up randomly,” Bennett said. “All the rehearsals and the timing, you think of any live event production and they have to do it in a suit that is not the most comfortable environment, just from the temperature they get up to and the number of things that they have to do athletically, it is a true task, a true commitment.”

Prior to the ego swap into Hugo, there’s still plenty of more to get done, beginning with a walk over to the nerve center in the arena’s under belly a few feet away from his dressing room. A production meeting where the details of the Hornets’ game operations plan for the evening are briefed is taking place, providing an outline of the segments where the spotlight will be on Hugo. Such as at halftime.

Since this was an anniversary night, celebrating the Hornets’ days of yesteryear and the franchise’s 35-plus years of existence, there’s going to be a throwback moment, trying to relive some of those special times when the old building off Tyvola Road was jumping.

Technically, there are three different versions of the Hornets’ mascot, including the Super Hugo persona conjured up by Zerrillo that also happens to be the favorite of the current Hugo. It was Zerrillo’s brainchild, spurred by his days on the Arizona State gymnastics team.

A collection of talent that, Zerrillo proudly points out, produced some of the league’s most well-known — albeit through initial anonymity — characters.

“Six of us that were all on that same team ended up being mascots in the NBA at one point,” Zerrillo said.

Most notably the Phoenix Suns’ Go the Gorilla, which made its debut in 1988.

Zerrillo said before he and his college teammates emerged, most of the mascots were athletes, “but not gymnastics-wise.” Zerrillo said.

“I was lucky enough to kind of create that Super Hugo when I got here because they just had Hugo and I’m like, ‘Well, I could dunk a lot better if we could tweak the costume.’ And we created the phone booth and changed stuff like that.”

‘One of the most difficult, and fun and rewarding jobs’

Those high-flying leaps are ingrained in the Hornets’ game fabric to this day. And following the production meeting and a brief on-court walk-through surrounded by Hornets’ dance team, the Honeybees, the routine is hashed out with two other members of the Flight Squad brought on board by the person who plays Hugo.

Limbering up with leg lifts starts things off, shifting to a massaging of each leg with a bulky roller. Hugo, sans costume, works out with his two right-hand men, providing a glimpse of what things will look like hours later when they’re on the court and the adrenaline is pumping as Technotronic’s “Pump Up the Jam” plays.

A restricted area of the arena is transformed into their own personal warmup section, complete with the trampoline and everything that comes with it. The dunks are coming soon and the person who’s had a courtside view for years is one of their biggest fans.

“Hugo has one of the most difficult, and fun and rewarding jobs at the same time,” Hornets public address announcer Patrick ‘Big Pat’ Doughtry said. “The thing about Hugo to me, he’s so athletic like these mascots of the ‘80s and ‘90s and I think that’s where he gets separated from a lot of guys. Charlotte, no the NBA, is better for having Hugo and Super Hugo in it.”

Even with 90 minutes left before tip-off, the anticipation builds, bubbling up the emotions that are natural for the average performer.

This person is no different and a quick power nap with the ACC Tournament playing on a television inside the dressing is in order, suppressing any lingering jitters. Yes, the anxiety is real, even for the most seasoned mascot.

“With gymnastics, you block everybody else out and focus just on what you’re doing.,” Zerrillo said. “That doesn’t work so good when you’re in a 24,000-seat arena and everyone’s clapping to one beat. You’re not even hearing the beat as you zone everything out, but you’ll learn to overcome that. But yeah, in 17 years I missed four games and three of them were because I got my neck fused that year. And I probably should have taken the rest of that year off now that I look back on it.

“But at that point, I didn’t want anybody else that costume.”

“Nowadays, it’s a little different. A lot of guys have a backup or a backup and a backup. This guy does appearances. So, it’s it’s changed a little bit.

“But most of us back then ... it was like, ‘We don’t want anybody else in our costume,’ “ he said.

After the current Hugo awakens from his pregame nap, it’s finally time to get in full costume and make the rounds. Mingling with patrons in the Flight Deck area tips things off and a seemingly endless loop through the Founder’s level triggers the crowd. Hugo’s huge head must be on a swivel, because it’s extremely hard to see and there’s no peripheral vision, which is why there’s a Hornets employee by his side to serve as an extra pair of eyes.

There was one instance on this night where he could’ve used a few more. He accidentally bumped into Bennett, but then added his own spin, pretending to be in disbelief regarding their collision in front of the Hornets’ Crown Club.

“See, I didn’t even know what was going on,” Bennett said. “He was having a little fun there. But that’s always been our back-and-forth. I think when he’s in character and just the excitement and joy … he’s so good at his spontaneity I would say and his improv. He is so skilled at that.

“They are performers and they have certain things that they have to do to prep to go in character that’s different than the whole rest of your staff. So, I kind of cater my interaction to him, understanding his talent is unique and not like the person who may be at their desk eight hours a day doing a task. So that was a genuine representation of how we go kind back and forth.”

Hugo’s loaded night also includes serving as a team flag bearer during pregame introductions, on top of the several excursions through the crowd, jokingly shunning fans in opposing jerseys before reluctantly giving them high fives or playfully posing for pictures. The to-do schedule is highlighted by the halftime dunk-a-thon that wasn’t perfect in the performer’s opinion. But others surely didn’t feel that way.

In fact, this particular version of Hugo does nothing at half speed.

“Whether it’s game 1 or game 41, he’s giving all his energy, everything he’s got,” Simon said. “From the moment he puts on that suit and walks out from the tunnel and starts interacting with the crowd until the end of the game and he’s waving people off the court, it’s non stop. And it doesn’t matter if his ankle is not 100% or if he is more tired that day. Hugo is always happy, healthy, high-energy.”

... He’s done an amazing job on delivering what the Hugo character was and what it’s going to be in the future moving forward.”

In other words, he’s mirroring Zerrillo’s approach.

“I worked hard and was able to stay there for 17 years, even with all the pain and with all this suffering,” Zerrillo said. “And I had so many times I’m in there (in the locker room) with Alonzo (Mourning) or Larry Johnson icing my ankles because my ankle’s huge and purple, but I’m still out there performing. They’re going through the same thing with their bodies. So, it’s a different job. It’s not for everybody.”

Neither is staying veiled in secrecy.

“I liked the anonymity of it,” said Zerrillo, who now works for AirTight FaciliTech, a Charlotte-based commercial heating and air conditioning company. “I didn’t want to have people know who I was. It was nice. Sometimes we’d go out after the games and you see people that were sitting front row, and they’re talking about the games and had no idea that you were the guy signing an autograph for them.”