The absolute best moments of live animals interrupting football games
From mascots running wild to animals just showing up.
Football is a great sport, but you know what makes it even better? Live animals breaking loose on the field during games! There have been a whole bunch of moments like this, so we took the liberty of breaking down the best moments for your convenience, because someone had to do it!
College football has a lot of these moments.
At Oregon-Stanford in 2017, a jackrabbit got loose on the field and scored an incredible touchdown, accompanied with a brilliant call from Fox Sports’ Tim Brando.
This is a very good bunny with some nice top-end speed — would draft! And we’ve seen this before. During a Michigan game at Purdue in 1993, another adorable bunny somehow got onto the field.
While this bunny didn’t make it into the end zone, he had some style points for his elusiveness.
The Canadian Football League had a hare-y situation as well!
This is my first-round draft pick, y’all. Very Good Bunny showed speed, agility, and quickness as it juked upfield.
RELATED: SQUIRREL TOUCHDOWN
— FOX Sports South (@FOXSportsSouth) September 23, 2017
SQUIRREL TOUCHDOWN
REPEAT: SQUIRREL TOUCHDOWN
pic.twitter.com/IHFJdqEP6b
RELATED: TOUCHDOWN POSSUM
LOOK AT THIS VERY GOOD DOGGY
In 1985, an adorable puppy broke loose during an Iowa home game.
My favorite part is how he literally just ran out because he wanted to hang out with the refs and players.
There was also that time a dog attacked an Auburn player.
No, the other time a dog attacked an Auburn player.
On Nov. 16, 1996, Robert Baker caught a touchdown in the front right corner of the end zone. After letting the ball fall to the ground, his momentum carried him toward Georgia’s mascot, Uga V, and Charles Seiler, who handles Uga.
“[Baker] kind of made a beeline for Uga, who had his back turned to him originally,” Seiler said. “It was a big, loud noise since he scored. It startled him…. If Uga hadn't landed, he would have grabbed Baker right in the crotch, and that would have been a painful thing. But he ran out of rope.”
The Big 12 has a tradition of foxes running out during games.
During Arizona State’s game at Texas Tech in 2017:
ASU's FG try is no good! We're scoreless after the Sun Devils' first drive. #WreckEm #WhatDoesTheFoxSay pic.twitter.com/5c5VMEt9s3
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) September 17, 2017
And this happened at Baylor earlier in the year:
Fox on the loose! @BUFootball @McLaneStadium @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/Qq6Nld3IJU
— David (@aanderson0718) September 2, 2017
This one was in 2013 during Texas Tech’s win over TCU. My favorite part was Tech’s mascot trying to wrangle the fox:
A second fox, perhaps the same one as the one above, went on the field during the Red Raiders’ game against West Virginia in 2016.
The Fox has made its return to Jones AT&T Stadium. pic.twitter.com/cemQ15F603
— DT Multimedia (@DT_Photo) October 15, 2016
Important geese moments:
For the millionth time, it's not a lake, dude pic.twitter.com/vcA19kNsec
— Boise State Football (@BroncoSportsFB) May 2, 2016
I’d probably do the same thing if I were a goose, tbh. Oh, a high school team in Pennsylvania also had to move its game to a practice field because of geese pooping on its home field!
Teams with live mascots make for some mishaps, sometimes!
Colorado’s live buffalo mascot Ralphie has gotten away from his handlers, who have to sprint next to him.
There was also this glorious moment when Fox Sports sideline reporter Jim Knox tried running out with Ralphie during a Georgia-Colorado game, and he ended up falling.
Texas’ longhorn, Bevo, is another mascot who does whatever he wants.
In 2012, during a Tennessee home game, Smokey got loose on the field and almost took out a Kentucky kicker’s legs!
Before Florida State’s Orange Bowl against Michigan in 2016, the FSU horse, Renegade, who Jim Harbaugh was really excited to see, had a biiiit of a mishap.
Legit cannot watch that without busting out laughing.
Speaking of horses! SMU’s live pony mascot, Peruna, is small, but still tough to wrangle.
Air Force’s live mascot falcon, which flies out in the stadium before kickoff, got loose during the 2010 Independence Bowl.
yes, it's true - the Air Force live mascot, the Falcon, has flown away. I shouldn't laugh. I really shouldn't.
— Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) December 28, 2010
Good news though — the Falcon was later found in downtown Shreveport!
Word on the Bird!! We just found him in downtown! It was amazing! - this is straight from one of the Bird handlers. #goairforce
— USAFA (Official) (@AF_Academy) December 28, 2010
More very good dogs!
Texas A&M’s live dog mascot, Reveille, broke loose into the middle of the field during a game against South Carolina in 2015.
Boise State’s tee-fetching dog, Kohl, is a very good dog who only runs as far as he’s supposed to, but we wanted to include him in here, because why not?
Meet Boise State's amazing tee-fetching dogBoise State's tee-fetching dog is SUCH A GOOD DOG!
Posted by SB Nation College Football on Friday, September 22, 2017
Also, here’s a dog scampering around at 1965 Army-Navy as players try to contain him.
The NFL has had fewer animal mishaps than college football, but there have been some good ones.
Sometimes, teams put DANG MONKEYS ON THE BACKS OF DOGS AND RACE ‘EM. At a Giants game:
This is the greatest thing the Giants have ever done, in my opinion.
MONKEYS RIDING DOGS!!!! ... pic.twitter.com/ecLlPhxuLt
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) September 21, 2014
The Indianapolis Colts are undefeated at Lambeau Field when live animals run onto the field.
Our last 2 wins at Lambeau Field:
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 7, 2016
: 1988
: 2016 pic.twitter.com/LZHhshrCBf
Back in 1988, a turkey got loose on the Frozen Tundra:
And some animal rights activists stormed the field during a Thanksgiving game between the Eagles and Lions, but they are actually not animals.
PSA: Do not eat Turkeys. They are not for eating. https://t.co/69L5EhcZxC pic.twitter.com/kdTO0yBls4
— SB Nation GIF (@SBNationGIF) November 26, 2015
At the end of a boring 40-0 blowout between the Ravens and Dolphins in October, a kitty ran on the field in Baltimore:
He was named MVP (by us) for the game.
Bonus Puppy Super Bowl Bowl GIFs!
There was a sloth referee, and it was, um something.
Brb, dying of cuteness.