By Eric Stann
Sept. 10, 2025
Contact: Eric Stann, StannE@missouri.edu
Photos by Nick Andrusisian
When Dan Meers, BJ, BA ’90, first arrived at the University of Missouri, he had no major and no plan — just curiosity, boundless energy and a love for Mizzou sports. Over the next five years, he built lifelong friendships and seized every opportunity he could.
Meers credits his time at Mizzou for helping forge the foundation for his remarkable 35-year professional career as KC Wolf, the beloved Kansas City Chiefs mascot. He retired from the role earlier this year.
“I never imagined that being Truman the Tiger would shape my career for the next 35 years,” Meers said. “But everything I experienced at Mizzou set the course for my life.”
Finding his inner roar
Growing up in St. Charles, Missouri, Meers lived and breathed Mizzou sports. So, once he got to Columbia and saw information in a school newspaper about tryouts for the role of Truman the Tiger, the university’s beloved mascot, he jumped at the chance to become Mizzou’s No. 1 fan.
The audition process tested him with a skit, a dance and an interview. Nervous but determined, he gave it a shot — including a beach-themed skit — and got the role.
As Truman the Tiger, Meers would perform at hundreds of sporting events, including football games and a couple of NCAA basketball tournaments.
Everywhere he went as Truman, Meers worked to spread the magic of M-I-Z pride.
“You’re in front of thousands of people and no one can see your face or hear your voice,” he said. “But you quickly realize it’s not about you — it’s about how you make people feel through your actions. Since mascots can’t speak, that’s where the magic is.”
Along the way, Meers appeared as Truman the Tiger in several “Final Fours” of the National Collegiate Mascot Championships, winning the national title in 1989. Those experiences proved to him that he could turn his enthusiasm for the role into a professional career.
Lessons between laughter
Meers’ life at Mizzou went far beyond Truman’s game days.
In the classroom, through courses in the College of Arts and Science and the School of Journalism, he sharpened his verbal and nonverbal communication skills — building a storytelling toolkit that would guide him for years to come. Outside of class, he immersed himself in campus life, serving as a resident advisor in Hatch Hall, playing intramural sports, helping with Mizzou’s Homecoming and joining Bible study groups.
Those experiences gave him a chance to lead, and most importantly, develop lifelong friendships that he still treasures today.
“My mom always said the most important things in life aren’t physical things — they’re relationships,” he said. “Mizzou showed me that relationships truly matter, and I carried that into my role as KC Wolf.”
From Tiger to Wolf
After graduating with honors from Mizzou, Meers started his professional career as Fredbird, mascot of the St. Louis Cardinals. Since this was his hometown baseball team, it was Meers’ dream job — despite the bird suit being a few inches shorter than his six-foot, three-inch frame.
Then came the call that changed everything.
The Kansas City Chiefs were creating their first mascot — KC Wolf, a giant wolf with googly eyes, 85-inch hips and 23-inch tennis shoes — and they wanted him to bring it to life. While Meers had never been to Kansas City, he knew this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
Shortly after arriving, and as he was trying on the brand-new 35-pound mascot suit, Meers thought it might be a fun short-term gig before finding a “real” job. Instead, he would stay with the Chiefs organization for the next 35 years.
As KC Wolf, Meers became one of the most recognizable mascots in sports, and in 2006, he was the first NFL mascot inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Among his favorite memories in the wolf suit was being able to share the experience with his kids.
“On ‘take your kid to work day,’ I dressed up all three of my kids as little KC Wolves and brought them onto the field with me during a game,” he said. “They are all adults now, and while they didn’t become professional mascots, at least they got to live it once.”
Photos courtesy Dan Meers
A “character with character”
From energizing crowds at Arrowhead Stadium to lifting spirits in the community through visits to hospitals, schools, prisons and nursing homes, Meers served as more than a mascot. Early in his career, he thought it was important to develop a mission statement for KC Wolf.
The message? “A character with character making an impact in the lives of others.”
Taped to a wall above his desk at Arrowhead throughout his career, the statement served as a constant reminder of what he was trying to accomplish.
“I wanted to conduct myself as a positive role model both in and out of the costume,” he said. “My main goal was to make a positive impact in the lives of others. I knew the best way to do that was with encouraging words, helpful actions and a positive attitude.
Over his career, Meers conducted thousands of school programs. After first greeting the kids as KC Wolf, Meers would slowly reveal his actual face from underneath the wolf’s furry head. Then, he would speak with the children for about 15 minutes on topics such as success, kindness and doing your best.
It would be a window into his next occupation: motivational speaking.
Wolves can’t fly
Decades into his career, after thousands of performances at Arrowhead Stadium and across the globe, a severe accident forced Meers to pause his mascot career.
On Nov. 23, 2013, Meers was practicing for a dramatic pregame stunt which would take him from the roof of the Arrowhead Stadium — 270 feet above the field — down a zip line to the center of the field. To add to the excitement, he would be strapped to a bungee cord connected to the zip line.
But when Meers started his practice run, the cord failed, sending him plummeting 75 feet into the upper-level seats directly below. After nine days in the hospital, it took him six months to recover from his injuries, including multiple broken ribs, a shattered tailbone and a collapsed lung.
During that time, he reflected on his life, and with encouragement from a close friend, he wrote, “Wolves Can’t Fly,” his first book about his life and career as a professional mascot.
Eventually, Meers returned to Arrowhead as KC Wolf to start his 25th season with a new perspective that continues to define his purpose in life today.
“If you ask a man his occupation, you’ll learn how he pays his bills,” Meers said. “But if you ask his preoccupation, you’ll discover his passion. Being a mascot paid my bills, but what I discovered at Mizzou — my true passion — is faith, family and using my life to make a positive impact.”
Meers credits the book for helping launch his post-mascot career. Today, he travels around the country inspiring thousands of people as a motivational speaker.
From making a child smile in a hospital or bringing laughter to Arrowhead as KC Wolf, to sharing his story on stage, Meers has stayed true to his mission of spreading joy, laughter and hope.
“It all started at Mizzou,” he said. “The people, the lessons, the opportunities — they all gave me the courage to step into that first suit and the drive to never stop making a difference.”
