Just days from Homecoming, one of the men who put the spark in Sparky is reflecting on his time behind the mask.
Alan Wald remembers starting the tradition of pushups after touchdowns and being the first Sparky to jam a basketball at halftime — and the time his flaming pitchfork broke off as he was jabbing it at an opponent.
This year, those memories are especially sweet because one of the freshmen experiencing his legacy is his son, Kyle, a member of the Class of 2020.
Alan Wald was Sparky from 1980-83 and still has his original costume, complete with the rubber mask that he said was made for him by Disney Studios.
Few things stand out for Wald as much as the pushups he pumped out in the end zone. He said the game would stop as the fans counted off his reps and that it was rush like no other. Wald also said football players would jokingly ask him how many he thought he could do, and during a game against Stanford he said he ended up pressing a pec-pulverizing total of 317.
There’s been no word on whether Kyle Wald will try to take up the mask his father helped make famous. But then again, Sparky’s true identity remains a mystery — so one never knows.
More Sun Devil community
ASU is the No. 2 public university for GI Bill students
For Arizona State University student David Faustino Hernandez, the university’s commitment to veterans goes far beyond symbolic gestures or dedicated support services.In his view, ASU has built a…
From Tempe to the Thames: Sparky takes London
Here’s a sentence you don’t often read: Sparky the Sun Devil, Arizona State University’s official mascot, has been invited to London this summer at the behest of the British Consulate.So thanks to…
ASU alum brings life-changing robotics to LA operating rooms
Nicholas Santos-Ramirez calls in to an interview about his experience at Arizona State University around 5 p.m. It’s just another step in his busy day, on his way home from one of the five hospitals…