I've Been the Kansas City Chiefs Mascot for 35 Years. Here's a Rare Look Behind the K.C. Wolf Mask (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Mascot K.C. Wolf of the Kansas City Chiefs.Photo:Kevin Sabitus/Getty

Kevin Sabitus/Getty

At 58 years old, Dan Meers says he still hasn’t quite gotten around to securing a “real job” just yet. Rather, he’s secured three Super Bowl titles and is in pursuit of a fourth having held the role as the official mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs for the past 35 years.

Beneath the furry frame, meanwhile, is Meers, a “tall, skinny guy” who doesn’t exactly have 85-inch-wide hips nor 23-inch feet (or a tail). What he does possess, though, is an incomparable energy and spirit that makes K.C. Wolf stand out from the rest of the pack of mascots in the league.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Meers gives a behind-the-mask look at what it’s really like to be the official mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs just days ahead of the team’s anticipated return to the Super Bowl in pursuit of securing the first-ever “three-peat” in NFL history.

Kansas City Chiefs Mascot K.C. Wolf.David Smith/CSM/Shutterstock

David Smith/CSM/Shutterstock

To say the least, Meers is a beast — both in and out of the K.C. Wolf costume.

“Unlike an offensive lineman, I don’t have to be able to lift all kinds of heavy weights. I just have to be able to put 30 pounds of fur on my body and dance around in a hot costume for three-and-a-half, four hours,” he tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Meer trains for “endurance,” an essential that not only gets him through a physically taxing day on the grid but has been key to his lengthy time as K.C. Wolf since he first stepped into the role nearly four decades ago.

35 years into his Kansas City career, the longtime mascot takes pride in his “old age” and cites it as one thing he brings to K.C. Wolf that makes him different from the other mascots in the NFL. His experience in the spirited space is advantageous, too, dating back to his first masked gig in 1986.

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Kansas City Chiefs Mascot K.C.David Smith/CSM/Shutterstock

Prior to going pro, Meers began his costumed career as Truman Tiger at the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he established himself as one of the top college mascots in the nation. His successes continued as graduation approached, and he received offers to take his talents to the big leagues.

Meers shed his tiger stripes for bird feathers as he zipped into Fredbird, the official mascot of the St. Louis Cardinals. “Then, the Chiefs reached out to me,” he tells PEOPLE of how he transitioned his brief MLB stint into what would become a decades-long career in the NFL.

“[The Chiefs] said they were going to start up this new mascot program, a character called K.C. Wolf,” he nostalgically says looking back. “I think it’s worked out.”

Ever since, Meers has been a sideline staple at games where his “high energy” and “bit of mischievous” is on full display. Whether he’s amping up the crowd or zip-lining across the stadium, his fan engagement and death-defying stunts are always often unforgettable spectacles.

K.C. Wolf performs a stunt over a fan during a Kansas City Chiefs game in November 2011.Peter G. Aiken/Getty

Peter G. Aiken/Getty

Despite not being feline, K.C. Wolf dresses like a cool cat. “It’s everything from donut shirts… pink flamingo shirts… all kinds of Hawaiian shirts,” Meers names, rattling off a few notables in the humongous canine’s costume closet.

“I’ve got banana pants!” he unforgettably adds.

Meers — who’s been with the Chiefs franchise for their NFL Championship titles in 2020, 2023 and 2024 — has Super Bowl rings sparkling in his closet, too.

“I get a Super Bowl ring and then I get one made that fits K.C. Wolf’s finger as well,” he shares.

As someone who’s held the same job since his early years after graduating from college, settled down in Kansas City and built a family with his wife Cam and their three children, Meers' passion for the quirky, yet iconic gig is obvious.

It’s more than just suiting up on game days that have kept Meers around this long. It’s also the 300-plus events and appearances he makes over the course of the year, including work with different charities and non-profit organizations in Kansas City and around the world that keep his spirit alive.

The Kansas City Chiefs mascot, K.C. Wolf, takes the field prior to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.Jamie Squire/Getty

Jamie Squire/Getty

“That’s what I love about the Chiefs. They’re committed to excellence on the field, but they’re also committed to making an impact in the community as well,” Meers says. “They allow me to take this crazy platform that I’ve got… and just use it to make a positive impact in the lives of other people.”

He adds, “I just feel incredibly blessed that I get to do something that I love every day. I get to go out and put on a furry costume and, hopefully, put smiles on people’s faces.”

As Meers' 35th NFL season with the Chiefs culminates with the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, his forthcoming years as K.C. Wolf show no sign of ending anytime soon, despite the “guarantee” that he’ll wake up the next day feeling “stiff and sore” and thinking, “I should have retired five years ago.”

“But no,” Meers clarifies. “I still love what I do… I love working for the Chiefs.”

source: people.com