Pistol Pete stands out in an ocean of sports mascots, where giant birds, costumed beasts, and foam-headed freaks roam the sidelines—half legend, half lawman, and 100% cowboy bravado. He’s got a handlebar mustache that won’t quit, a 10-gallon hat that bellows authority, and the sort of gaze that says, “Don’t mess with the Cowboys.”
However, the tale behind Oklahoma State University’s popular mascot goes far deeper than most know. Spoiler alert: This is not some fabricated cartoon. Pete is based on an actual Wild West hero, and his transformation from gunslinger to game-day legend is a true page-turner.
What Is the Oklahoma State Cowboys Mascot?
The Oklahoma State Cowboys’ official mascot is Pistol Pete—a mustachioed, boot-sporting, sharp-shooting cowboy with roots as authentic as the Oklahoma earth. Not a figment of anyone’s imagination, Pete is modeled after Frank Eaton, an actual cowboy, U.S. Deputy Marshal, and Wild West legend whose life was so full of action that it makes Clint Eastwood’s characters seem tame.
Born in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut, Eaton relocated to the Oklahoma Territory and soon developed a reputation for his fast draw and unwavering sense of justice. At a young age, he even gained the nickname “Pistol Pete” for his early shooting prowess.
Legend has it that Eaton outdrew military cavalrymen at Fort Gibson before he was 16. Subsequently, he tracked down the outlaws who murdered his father, was a lawman himself, and was a symbol of old-fashioned grit. He lived to be 97 years old—testimony that cowboys are tough as nails.
The state of Oklahoma decided to adopt Oklahoma A&M’s (now called Oklahoma State University) use of Eaton’s likeness as their mascot for their sporting spirit in the 1920s. Oklahoma A&M was looking for an image that embodied their tough local character after shedding their original tiger mascot, and felt Eaton was that man. Oklahoma A&M made the request, and being a cowboy gentleman, he consented to it.
“I was surprised,” Eaton once stated. “But I told them they could use my picture and name if it would help them.” That choice began a tradition that has endured more than a century.
Although Eaton died in 1958, his legacy continues as the contemporary Pistol Pete—a costumed mascot with a giant fiberglass head, orange chaps, and that legendary mustache. Two Oklahoma State students are chosen yearly to don the costume after completing a grueling audition process. It’s not an easy job: the fiberglass head is around 30 pounds, and the mascot has over 600 yearly appearances at games, parades, charity functions, and weddings.
Fun fact: OSU’s Pistol Pete has been so ubiquitous that ESPN once designated him as one of college football’s greatest mascots. He’s also inspired imitators at other institutions, including New Mexico State and Wyoming, but OSU’s is still the original.
Why Was the Oklahoma State Cowboys Mascot Created?
It all began with a parade.
In 1923, Oklahoma A&M students and administrators marched in an Armistice Day parade in Stillwater. As they passed down the street, Frank Eaton rode by astride a horse, all dressed up in full cowboy gear and looking like he had leapt from a dime novel. The crowd went wild, and the OSU group recognized immediately that they had discovered their new mascot.
KEEP READING: History of the Texas Longhorns Mascot
Until then, the school had used the “Tigers,” a generic name unconnected to Oklahoma’s identity and culture. The students craved something local, real, and symbolic of the American West. In rode Frank Eaton, a living, breathing cowboy who had endured shootouts, tracked outlaws, and lived to tell the story.
Oklahoma A&M soon obtained Eaton’s permission to utilize his image and persona, which soon found its way onto school logos, team posters, and souvenirs. Later, the nickname “Cowboys” replaced “Aggies” as the school’s official nickname, and Pistol Pete was born—not only as a mascot but as a university symbol.
In 1958, the university bumped up things and began featuring the first costumed iteration of Pete at football games. Over the years, his appearance changed (his head grew bigger and more expressive), but not his personality. Pete continues to strut with attitude, wave to fans with cowboy suave, and pump up the crowd with each touchdown.
One of the coolest things about the tradition is that Pistol Pete is never played by anyone other than actual students who go to OSU. These students aren’t even mascots—they are ambassadors for the school. They have to interview, speak publicly, and even pass a test to ensure they can balance that enormous cowboy head while dancing and cheering before thousands of people.
And the community does, too. Every Pistol Pete is part of a rich tradition, joining an exclusive group of students who’ve worn the costume and represented OSU throughout the country.
So the next time you’re at an OSU game and spot that wide-brimmed hat bobbing in the crowd, recall—Pistol Pete isn’t acting a role. He is the role: the lawman, the legend, and the heart of Cowboy Country.
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