Florida Gators mascot Walter Clayton Jr. Photo Credit: Artie Schweitzer via X
By Arthur Weinstein on

In the state of Florida, gators more than 4 feet long that encroach on someone’s personal space are considered nuisance animals.

Florida star Walter Clayton Jr. had his hands full with a 6-foot-5 nuisance gator Monday night as the Florida Gators mascot kept trying to slip into Clayton’s family photo.

After the Gators knocked off Houston to win the national championship, Clayton posed for a photo with his girlfriend, Tatiyana Burney, and 16-month-old daughter, Leilani. The Gators mascot, Albert, put his arm around Clayton, his reptilian head nodding up and down like a bobblehead.

MASN Sports’s Artie Schweitzer caught video of the incident. Clayton glanced at the mascot and appeared to say, “Out, my boy.”

Albert walked away. But after someone came to briefly chat with Clayton, the mascot weaseled his way back into the photo opp. Clayton had seen enough by then and told the mascot to leave. The Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player seemed a bit more stern than he had in the first exchange.


Everyone loves a good mascot story, and the NCAA postseason had a couple of good ones. Social media loved Drake’s bulldog mascot, Griff II. And Clemson’s mascot went viral for his sad look as the Tigers got bounced from the tournament.


But sometimes, mascots take it a little too far. In November, a Syracuse TV reporter said that Miami’s mascot asked for her phone number during the game.

So a message to all mascots. Have fun, but don’t be a nuisance.

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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