{"id":1166,"date":"2025-06-16T14:48:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T14:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/?p=1166"},"modified":"2025-06-19T14:32:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T14:32:08","slug":"hanging-up-the-hooves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/2025\/06\/16\/hanging-up-the-hooves\/","title":{"rendered":"Hanging Up the Hooves"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Two of the most spirited members of the Marshall University community hung up their hooves this spring as they graduated \u2013 both leaving behind a legacy of energy, joy and school pride as the students behind the beloved mascot, Marco.<\/p>\n

\"Luke
Luke Jeffrey’s first photo with Marco is framed at his grandmother’s house.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luke Jeffrey: Yeager Scholar to Marshall legend<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Luke, a Logan, West Virginia, native and Yeager Scholar, the journey to becoming Marco started with a childhood photo.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was maybe four years old when I first met Marco at a game,\u201d he recalled. \u201cThere\u2019s a picture at my grandmother\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n

What began as admiration turned into action after he met a former Marco who shared stories about the role. That inspiration led Luke to audition \u2013 and land \u2013 the iconic gig his freshman year.<\/p>\n

Luke, who graduated this spring with a bachelor\u2019s degree in accounting, spent four years as Marco and described the experience as transformative. Originally shy, he found confidence inside the suit.<\/p>\n

\"Luke
Luke Jeffrey, Accounting BBA – Marshall University Class of 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cBeing Marco helped me come out of my shell. The line between who I was as a person and who I was as Marco started to blur, and it helped me realize people might like Luke just as much,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His favorite moment? Running onto the field at the Notre Dame game, where Marco\u2019s high-five from a player turned into an accidental glove toss. \u201cWe walked in as underdogs and left feeling on top of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

After thousands of photos, countless high-fives, and immeasurable memories, Luke is headed to Georgetown University Law Center this fall.<\/p>\n

\"Gauge
Gauge Goff, History BA – Marshall University Class of 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gauge Goff: A newcomer who made a big impact<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gauge, a South Charleston native and history graduate, became Marco more recently \u2014 but made his time count. As a transfer student, Gauge didn\u2019t plan on joining the mascot ranks until a fraternity brother, who was also a former Marco, encouraged him to audition.<\/p>\n

Despite only beginning in May 2024, Gauge quickly became immersed in the role. He cites his trip to the Sun Belt basketball championships in Pensacola, Florida, as a highlight and said the interactions with fans, especially kids, were unforgettable.<\/p>\n

\"Gauge
Gauge Goff wore Marco’s hooves as he crossed the stage during Marshall University’s Spring Commencement Ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHelping make events like football and basketball games even more special for fans and kids was the best part,\u201d Gauge said.<\/p>\n

He also learned patience, an essential skill while managing rowdy crowds or navigating the world with limited vision in a mascot suit.<\/p>\n

Now that he\u2019s earned his degree, Gauge plans to join the Army National Guard and later attend police academy \u2013 continuing a life of service and leadership, just as he demonstrated as Marco.<\/p>\n

More than a Mascot<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both students agree: Marco is more than a fuzzy face at a football game. He\u2019s a symbol of pride, unity and joy at Marshall.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarco is everywhere,\u201d Luke said. \u201cYou might see him for just a few minutes, but those moments matter. They stay with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

For these graduates, their Marco experience shaped not just their time at the university, but the people they became.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been an extreme honor and pleasure to get to take on this role,\u201d Gauge said. \u201cI have had the time of my life being Marco and wouldn’t have wanted to have spent my senior year doing anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they pass the horns to the next generation, Luke and Gauge leave behind more than just memories. They\u2019ve set a standard for what it means to represent Marshall University with heart, humor and Herd pride.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two of the most spirited members of the Marshall University community hung up their hooves this spring as they graduated \u2013 both leaving behind a legacy of energy, joy and school pride as the students behind the beloved mascot, Marco. Luke Jeffrey: Yeager Scholar to Marshall legend For Luke, a Logan, West Virginia, native and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-moments"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1166"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1189,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1166\/revisions\/1189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/moments\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}