Fiery-orange hair, exaggerated muscles and a bright, white smile. The UT Dallas community knows Temoc when they see him. He’s one of the most unique mascots to represent a university, and it takes an equally unique student to jump inside the suit and put on his persona. A student like Molly Millsap Stevens BA’18.

The Sulphur Springs native spent two years as the UT Dallas mascot, interacting with students, faculty, staff and alumni at University events and external affairs to help boost school spirit. A former high school mascot, she relished the role and its significance to UTD.

“I wanted Temoc to be the most lovable thing,” Stevens said. “I wanted people to get excited, or bring a smile to their face by seeing him.”

After she graduated from high school, Stevens worked as an instructor for the National Cheerleading Association, which led to her first introduction to Temoc at an NCA championship in 2014. Although Temoc didn’t come out on top in the mascot division, Stevens was impressed by UT Dallas’ spirit program.

“I didn’t really know what he was,” Stevens said. “But I thought how they executed him was intriguing. The fact that they made a comet into a live character with human characteristics and features made him really likeable.”

Two years later, Stevens reached out to Coach Jason Dollar to see if she could try out for the mascot position. Her audition was a success, and Stevens donned the Comet suit as soon as she was accepted to UT Dallas as an undergraduate.

“Temoc made my experience at UT Dallas,” Stevens said. “He was literally like my best friend at school.”

Being Temoc was not always an easy task, however. Indoor events could almost be as heat-inducing as outdoor events due to the number of people gathered in close quarters and the continuous interactions.

“For some it can be claustrophobic, but after 10 years as a mascot, I was used to it,” Stevens said.

To be Temoc was to also constantly be aware of your surroundings, Stevens said, because the vision impairment from within the suit combined with the size of the mascot’s mane could be a dangerous duo.

“There are blind spots from the inside; it’s not like wearing a football helmet,” Stevens said. “The weight distribution of his head is a lot, too.”

It also took time for Stevens to take on Temoc’s signature characteristics, from the way he waved and sat, to how he walked on campus.

“I had to transform my whole demeanor,” Stevens said. “Although there’s no gender assigned to Temoc, like real comets, most people assume he’s male. So when I sat down, I had to be mindful to not cross my legs or ankles and sit more masculine.”

With multiple students rotating as Temoc, it was important to keep his movements and behaviors consistent. Each mascot had to be trained for weeks before suiting up to ensure he looked the same, no matter who was inside.

“You never want people to guess that there are multiple Temocs,” Stevens said. “If someone takes a picture, we all need to pose in the same way. Even in heights, we try to stick within the same range.”

Keeping her identity a secret from friends and fellow students could also be a challenge, as Stevens had to juggle mascot duties and classes on a daily basis throughout each semester.

“It was funny, because my friends would see me that morning, looking put together,” Stevens said. “Then they’d see me at my next class looking like I’d just run a marathon.”

During her tenure as Temoc, Stevens placed second in the NCA Nationals, developed the mascot’s signature and helped produce a yearly calendar of the mascot as a fundraiser for UT Dallas.

“Placing second at Nationals, that was the proudest moment of my life when it came to mascoting,” Stevens said. “I left a legacy behind.”

Molly Millsap Stevens BA’18 participates in the first Temoc Reveal.

In 2018, as part of a new tradition at UT Dallas commencement, Stevens participated in the first Temoc Reveal, accepting her diploma from the School of Interdisciplinary Studies wearing the mascot’s hands to let fellow graduates in on her two-year secret.

“Giving that part of my life up was a bittersweet thing,” Stevens said. “It felt like I left a part of me behind.”

Although Stevens retired from her mascot career when she graduated from UT Dallas, she knows the future for the beloved character is bright.

“The sky is the limit, no pun intended, for how his presence can be on campus,” Stevens said.