By Caleb McDairmant

After three years on Team Truman, Trevor Lerit, BJ ‘24, has started a new chapter as KC Wolf’s seasonal assistant, helping the Kansas City Chiefs deliver the iconic experience to fans and businesses alike. 

As Truman, Lerit gained valuable experience interacting with fans of all ages. He also learned the logistics of scheduling appearances. These skills have carried over to his new role with the Chiefs, where he is involved in the planning, scheduling and coordination that brings the KC Wolf experience to life. 

“Alongside scheduling appearances for backup wolves, hopping around departments and game planning to give fans the KC Wolf experience, I also fulfill a lot of appearances,” Lerit said. “[Recently] I was at a senior living center. No matter where Wolf goes, everyone loves him.”

One of the biggest events Lerit experienced was Red Wednesday, part of the Chiefs’ traditional Red Friday celebration where fans flood the city to show their support for the team before the start of the season. The event took place the day before the Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens for the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game, marking the start of Lerit’s season with the team. 

KC Wolf had 40 appearances on Red Wednesday, and Lerit watched how “awesome it was seeing how much the Chiefs bring out people and the crowds.”

Joining the Chiefs Kingdom has been a new experience for Lerit, as the fan base’s excitement for a potential three-peat is unlike anything he’s seen before. 

“The Chiefs have been to back-to-back Super Bowls, and there are appearances every single day. Everyone wants Wolf,” Lerit said. “The Chiefs Kingdom is a different beast. I’ve gotten to be part of every home game, and the tailgate atmosphere before everyone is about to go in and is super pumped is really cool to see.”

As part of the Chiefs Kingdom, Lerit has witnessed the unique ways mascots bring energy to a crowd. 

“I’d say bringing the juice, bringing the energy,” Lerit said. “At Arrowhead, the first thing that happens right before kickoff is they’ll introduce KC Wolf, and he’ll ride out on a 4-wheeler and start directing the band. You really get to hear everyone in the crowd erupt when he comes out. Everyone goes crazy.”

Lerit will always remember his most emotional moments as Truman, witnessing the strength of the Missouri community, like in Dallas during Mizzou’s victory over Ohio State in the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic, or kicking off games against Kansas or Kansas State. Still, the intensity at Arrowhead is on another level.

“Both Faurot Field and Arrowhead have tons of history behind them, and the people understand that,” he said. “Faurot Field is pretty loud, especially when you have the M-I-Z-Z-O-U chant – that sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it – but nothing beats Arrowhead and how loud it gets. They are the world record-holding stadium for a reason.”

As a journalism student and vice president of Mizzou’s Interfraternity Council, Lerit learned valuable lessons about public image and how actions can affect the reputation of an entire organization. 

“I learned a lot about public perception and how if you do something wrong, it reflects on the entire organization you represent,” Lerit said. “With fraternities, you have to work hard to move people away from the stigma, and that was a whole new game. Understanding public perception shaped my approach as a mascot, where the goal is to show the good side of everything.”

These lessons in managing image, from both his J-School classes and his IFC role, have helped him in his mascot role and carried over into his current responsibilities with the Chiefs. The transition from Truman Tiger to the Chiefs has been guided by the mentorship of Dan Meers, who was also Truman in the 1980s and has suited up as KC Wolf for over 35 years.

Looking ahead, Lerit takes one day at a time. The opportunity to bring joy to fans continues to drive his passion for mascot life. 

“One of the perks of being a mascot is making people happy,” Lerit said. “Even on tough days, if I’m making other people happy, it’s a good day.”

Updated: February 6, 2025