Tusk’s keeper has role in SEC promo

FAYETTEVILLE - Longtime Arkansas Razorbacks fan Keith Stokes will serve as the voice and a key character on a new 30-second television spot being released today to help promote the University of Arkansas and the upcoming SEC Network.

Stokes is familiar to Arkansas fans as the owner of Tusk IV, the live Razorbacks mascot, and as the man who drives the hog in its trailer to Arkansas’ home football games.

“I love being part of the Razorbacks,” Stokes said. “I’ve been a fan my whole life and I’ve been involved with Tusk since the beginning.This is kind of a way to put everything together in one big package.”

The spot, which includes a good close-up of Tusk IV, was shot on a Saturday last fall by an ESPN crew before and during a Razorbacks’ home football game. Stokes said the crew came to his spread on “a farm near Dardanelle in Yell County” - which is the description Mattie Ross, a character in Charles Portis’ book True Grit, gives of her home - at around 5 a.m. on game day to begin shooting footage for the commercial.

The promo is available for viewing on WholeHogSports.com. It is also available for the University of Arkansas to distribute through its website and other means, and can be seen on ESPN’s YouTube page and via GetSECNetwork.com.

In the spot, Stokes describes the importance of the hog call to Arkansas fans everywhere as groups of fans and the team’s cheerleaders are seen taking part in the cheer.

Stokes is talking while he and his 20-year-old daughter, Abbey, begin the hand motions and the start of the “Woo Pig Sooie” call. As the Stokes’ raise their arms, several other scenes of individuals and groups of Arkansas fans are intercut, leading to a crescendo and the “Pig Sooie, Razorbacks!” part of the call during the game.

The spot ends with the line “Take It All In,” followed by the new SEC Network logo.

ESPN has created 30-second spots for each of the 14 SEC schools, many of them based on traditions at those schools. Alabama’s spot features the voice of Paul “Bear” Bryant, a native of Moro Bottom, talking about what it takes to win.

Stokes said he brought Tusk to his farm in about 2006 and has been involved with each of the mascots since former Razorback David Bazzel came up with the idea to have a live mascots in the mid-1990s.

“Tusk is his baby,” Stokes said. “He deserves a lot of credit in this.”