By Jennifer Hall

The ETSU Buccaneers have had their name since 1935, but how exactly did this school become known as the Buccaneers? 

A buccaneer is a pirate who preyed upon Spanish vessels and colonies in the early 1600s and 1700s. The school is nowhere near the ocean and is located in the middle of mountains that range for miles. According to The World Book Dictionary, a “buccaneer” also refers to a frame or grill used for curing meat. This is known as a boucan.

The history of how the buccaneer became the university mascot is almost gone.

Author Robert J. Higgs, professor emeritus of English from ETSU, wasn’t sure if there was an answer to how ETSU became the Buccaneers, but said it was once “a very common term for teams.” 

'The Teachers'

In the beginning, ETSU was actually the state teacher’s college. Along with the name of the school came the sports team name “The Teachers.” So, for years students and faculty rooted for “The Teachers.”

In 1935 history was made. The school changed its name from “The Teachers” to the “Buccaneers.” This was the first time the football team had been called the “Buccaneers.” Coach Gene McMurray was credited with coming up with the name. 

“The Teachers sounds too innocent and academic, and they wanted more of a fighting name,” Higgs said.

An English professor and coach at that time, Willis Beeler Bible, had an objection with the name. Bible believed that pirates had an unsavory reputation. The name stuck despite the disagreement.

“'Bull' Bible joked about the name buccaneers and said sounded like a bunch of bandits,” Higgs said.

Captain Kidd and Pepper

Throughout the years, ETSU has had a few different mascots. Although a buccaneer refers to a pirate, the first mascot was actually a goat named Captain Kidd. According to an article from the Alumni Association, in 1957 Captain Kidd was replaced with another goat, Captain Kidd II. After the mascot Captain Kidd came multiple Buckys, the present-day mascot.

In 1980, at the homecoming game, Bucky hatched Pepper the Parrot. Pepper was one of the most beloved and notable of the ETSU mascots. Pepper was popular with the children and the fans. Pepper would provide hilarious entertainment by break dancing, moon walking and even slam dunking for the fans. 

According to an Alumni Association article, Bucky had his own pirate suit. Bucky played the tough-guy role while Pepper the light-hearted mascot had a more comical side. Bucky had a womanizer reputation and he was the kind of guy people loved to party with. If a fight broke out, you would want Bucky to be on your side. 

In the late 1990s, Pepper was phased out as the mascot and Bucky became the sole mascot to be the tough guy and to be family oriented. Bucky now has all of the responsibility. Through the years Bucky has had a few different costumes and now dons the signature blue suit.

Paul LeBucque, pirate

Rumor has it that Bucky’s background begins with the story of the ETSU nickname, “The Buccaneers.” According to the book “What’s in a Nickname?” there was a real, live buccaneer who roamed a great area stretching from the Florida Keys northward. 

A villainous freebooter named Jean Paul LeBucque (LeBuc) was known as the scourge of the Western World. LeBucque was looking for a place to store his treasures of gold. Searching for a new home, he left the East Coast of Florida. 

The story goes on in theory that LeBucque found a new home while he was sailing north. Apparently he was trapped and killed by a huge upheaval of the earth’s crust.

Geologists wonder about the formations found in the Upper East Tennessee/Western North Carolina area. They believed they were indicative of severe upheaval of the earth’s crust. This has never been explained.

A group of spelunkers found an underground river in the university area. This is known as Pirate Creek. The creek runs throughout subterranean tunnels in a southeasterly direction. If the geologists' theory is true, Pirate Creek could have led to the Atlantic Ocean. 

Lebucque’s image still lives through ETSU’s dearly loved mascot Bucky. To those who want to believe it, that is why they are called the Buccaneers. Let the history be “ARRRRRRRRRRGHS!”