Nittany Lion mascot James D. Sheep has been suspended and will not attend the Rose Bowl be-cause of a violation of team rules, a fact that has left many who know the man behind the mask disappointed.
Sheep, a senior, was charged Nov. 22 with driving under the influence, according to court documents. He is suspended from his position until Dec. 31 and will not travel to Pasadena, Calif., for the bowl game, according to a statement released by Penn State Athletics Thursday.
"What he did was very disappointing, but he really isn't a bad kid," Elaine Sheep, the mascot's grandmother, said. "But my heart is broken."
Sheep was charged after police pulled his vehicle over on Curtin Road on Nov. 22, according to the criminal complaint.
Police said he recorded a .164 BAC after he was stopped by an officer at 3:16 a.m. the morning of the football season's final home game against Michigan State. The officer noticed there were too many people in the car he was driving, police said. Sheep had "watery, sleepy eyes," and the officer detected the odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. Sheep failed field sobriety tests and consented to a blood test, police said.
Penn State cheerleading coach Curt White said in the statement the team is "disappointed."
"James has been a very enthusiastic and hard-working Nittany Lion, but we are disappointed that his recent actions did not represent the high standards of this position," White said in the statement. "We are planning to have James resume his duties in the new year and are confident that he will represent Penn State Athletics and the University with a high level of energy, dedication and respect."
A replacement mascot from the cheerleading squad will assume Sheep's position for the Rose Bowl and the remainder of the month, according to the statement.
Greg Myford, Penn State's associate athletic director for marketing and communications, wrote in an e-mail that he does not know when the name of the new mascot will be announced.
Repeated attempts to contact White went unanswered as of press time Thursday. The suspended mascot refused comment about the incident Sunday and could not be reached Thursday.
Grandmother Elaine Sheep, of Berwick, Pa., said she saw "Jimmy" perform as the Nittany Lion at the Coastal Carolina football game on Aug. 30.
"I was very proud of what he did," his grandmother said.
She said she hasn't spoken to her grandson since the announcement of his suspension but imagines "he's very remorseful."
"I haven't spoken to Jimmy, but I would probably break down and not be able to talk," she said.
He's a "good boy," she added.
"These things happen and drunken driving is a very terrible thing," she said. "If he were a bad boy I'd say, 'Well, you know ... ' But he really isn't a bad boy."
