Southwest
Former Dallas Cowboys NFL mascot says job was not on bucket list, shares Rowdy experience as 'face' of brand
There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the person under a mascot suit. A former college and NFL mascot has put a human face to the character by sharing his experience stepping into the “Rowdy” suit for the 2022-2023 Dallas Cowboys season and how he got there.
“Mascots aren’t really known, and I really wanted to change that,” Eric Aaberg, a former mascot for the Dallas Cowboys, told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview.
He now uses TikTok to talk about his time being the “face” of the Cowboys and what it was like being Rowdy as a 22-year-old while also balancing life as a college student.
In addition to stepping into the Rowdy costume for events and game days, Aaberg also spent a lot of his time with the organization creating social media content. (Eric Aaberg Photography)
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Aaberg’s road to Rowdy happened by a bit of luck and taking a chance on something new. While he was attending the University of Texas at Dallas, he was approached to join the cheer team and later asked to be the school’s mascot, Temoc.
“Being a mascot was not on my bucket list for college,” Aaberg said.
He was reluctant to accept the role at first but ended up taking on the opportunity and continued to be the mascot for five years.
Being Rowdy is no small task. There are a lot of other events that the mascot is needed for beyond just game days. (Brad Schloss/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
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Becoming Temoc ultimately led to Aaberg getting the chance to try out for Rowdy, the mascot for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys reached out to UT Dallas, expressing their interest in Aaberg being their mascot.
“The tryout process was literally one interview,” Aaberg said, noting that it helped that he already had experience working as a mascot and also with creating social media content.
After being hired and attending one event, on top of some additional training, Aaberg became Rowdy, a character that has a much larger presence than just hyping up the crowd at games and posing for photos with fans.
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“I think the common misconception is people think the mascots are only at games, but actually, the mascots and cheerleaders are at tons of corporate events, I want to say over 300 throughout the year,” Aaberg told Fox News Digital. “Sometimes that’s seven times a week, sometimes that’s five times a week, sometimes that’s 10 times a week.”
At the time when he got the job, he was still a college student. Though there were multiple people who were mascot performers for the team, the schedule was still a packed one.
Aaberg was part of a rotating cast of individuals who took turns playing Rowdy at games and other events. (Eric Aaberg Photography)
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The typical call time for game days was 6 a.m., according to Aaberg, with other responsibilities including driving around the “Rowdy van,” which carries the mascot costume, and going to upwards of four-hour corporate events.
“At the end of the day, being a mascot is just another form of marketing. You are literally the walking face of the brand,” Aaberg said, who often made social media content featuring Rowdy during his time with the team.
For those who want to become a mascot for their college team or even a professional sports team, Aaberg attributes qualities like being passionate, energetic and dedicated to success in the job.
“You have to be passionate about school spirit, being passionate about really wanting to put a smile on people’s faces, making these Tiktok trends, having that reason to put on the suit,” Aaberg said.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Pasadena motorist knocked unconscious in unprovoked assault after other driver flashes high beams at him
A motorist was rendered unconscious after what authorities are calling an unprovoked attack that occurred after another driver flashed their high beams at him, authorities say.
According to the Pasadena Police Department, the victim, a 63-year-old man, was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue near Washington Boulevard when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction flashed him around 1 a.m. Saturday.
“The victim reported that he was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue from Washington Boulevard when he observed a vehicle traveling southbound flashing its high beams at him,” a Pasadena Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. “The victim stated he stopped his vehicle and exited. He was then assaulted by an unknown suspect. The assault was unprovoked.”
The attack left the man unconscious and with a three-inch deep laceration to his head, police added. Upon regaining consciousness, the man transported himself to Huntington Hospital, and it was around 1:20 a.m. when police responded there to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and began their investigation.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the victim told police that, due to his injuries, he was not able to provide a description of a suspect, vehicle or the weapon used, nor was he able to tell police the exact location where the assault occurred, although it was confirmed to be somewhere near Raymond Avenue and Washington Boulevard. La Pintoresca Park is located near that intersection.
No further details were immediately available.
Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact the Pasadena Police Department right away.
Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.
Los Angeles, Ca
Woman killed by driver while crossing PCH in Long Beach
A woman was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
On June 3, the female pedestrian was using the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue around 4:50 a.m.
She had walked against a red light and was hit by a 19-year-old driver in a Chevy sedan, Long Beach police said.
Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
“At this time, impaired driving, distracted driving and excessive speed are not believed to be a factor in this collision,” police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is asked to call Detective Joseph Johnson at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
Los Angeles, Ca
Man wanted for deadly Los Angeles road rage shooting extradited from Mexico
A man wanted for a deadly road rage shooting in Los Angeles was arrested and extradited from Mexico after fleeing the U.S. in 2024.
The suspect was identified as Christian Rojas, 21, of Bellflower, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Authorities had been searching for him since the deadly incident on October 10, 2024.
Rojas and a second suspect, Joshua Rojas Sr., 47, of Downey, were driving on the northbound 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights around 4 p.m. when they became involved in an altercation with another driver that escalated into a shooting.
Video of the tense confrontation showed the suspects, who were driving a Dodge Durango SUV, opening fire on two men in a Cadillac sedan.
The shooting forced the victim to pull over abruptly. That’s when a suspect ran up to the Cadillac, opened the passenger-side door and fired several shots at close range.
In a panic, the Cadillac driver tried to escape by making a sudden U-turn and driving against oncoming traffic. He eventually crashed head-on into several vehicles.
The suspects ditched their SUV and fled toward a freeway exit on foot. The Cadillac driver was left with serious injuries and his passenger was killed. Their identities were not released.
The incident caused a miles-long backup that left thousands of motorists stranded on the freeway for hours and authorities worked to clear the scene.
Following an extensive investigation, detectives identified the two men as the suspects involved.
Joshua Rojas Sr. was arrested in San Bernardino on October 22, 2024, on a murder charge. He remains in custody awaiting trial.
Meanwhile, Christian Rojas had fled the U.S. and was hiding in Mexico, detectives said. A $4.3 million bail warrant was issued for his arrest.
“Through a coordinated international effort, investigators determined that Rojas was living in Palomo de Arriba, Mexico,” CHP officials said. “The U.S. Marshals Service worked with Mexican state police to locate and arrest him on the outstanding warrant.”
On June 2, 2026, Christian was arrested and extradited to the U.S. to face a murder charge.
“This arrest demonstrates that time and distance will not shield violent offenders from justice,” said CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris. “For nearly two years, our detectives remained relentless in their pursuit of those responsible for this senseless act of violence. Through exceptional collaboration with the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in Mexico, we located and apprehended this suspect and brought him back to face the charges. We remain committed to protecting the public, supporting victims and their families, and holding violent criminals accountable wherever they may try to hide.”
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