About 60 alumni, students and fans heard some of the deepest secrets of the Nittany Lion mascot straight from the Lion's mouth on Friday.

Several former Penn State mascots spoke in Foster Auditorium about the evolution of the Nittany Lion as a mascot and shared some of their experiences from under the suit.

Bob Ritzmann, the longest serving mascot in Penn State history, was the first of the former mascots to speak. He described his time in the suit, from 1942 to 1945, as one of the most memorable experiences of his life.

He said being the Lion was a great source of pride for him, and even credited the role of mascot as a way he became close with his wife, who wrote an article about him for the Daily Collegian that described him as "The Lion King."

The event was also an opportunity to revisit some of the most memorable moments in the Lion's history.

Chuck Kimble, mascot from 2000 to 2002, told the audience how the Nittany Lion almost died.

Kimble was judging a cannonball competition at a rally for the football team at the McCoy Natatorium when the crowd began to chant for the Lion to go in the pool.

"I got up to the diving board, and felt like I could do it. I did a one-and-a-half flip into the pool. You should know, though, that when the suit is dry it weighs about 8 pounds -- when it is wet it weighs about 800. I started to sink to the bottom, and I thought I was dead," Kimble said.

Lifeguards pulled Kimble to safety, and though he felt he was lucky to be alive, he was still focused on being the Lion. He played it off by attempting to shake himself dry.

"It's just a part of being the Lion," Kimble said.

Alex Gregal, mascot from 1951 to 1953, recalled the differences about the position from when he served to the present.

"Now, the suit looks really good. Before, it was made out of rabbit and deer fur. It was a lot different back then," Gregal said.

Steven Herb, executive director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book and head librarian of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Library, also gave a brief history of the Lion, including the story behind Harrison Denning "Joe" Mason's creation of the mascot in 1904.

Mason came up with the idea for the Nittany Lion as a reaction to Princeton University tour guides' attempts to intimidate Penn State baseball players before a game with talk of their mascot, the Tiger. Mason, a team leader, responded by saying Penn State was home to the Nittany Lion, "the fiercest beast of them all."

Penn State won the game, and in 1908 the Lion was adopted as the university's official mascot.