From starring on the football field as a high school quarterback in Laurens, South Carolina, to donning a new uniform as the Tiger mascot, Thomas Lowry ’25 firmly left his paw prints on Clemson University. The construction science and management graduate and first-ever Tiger legacy estimated he appeared as the mascot more than 300 times during his Clemson career, following in the footsteps of his father, Martin Lowry ’88.
In this interview, the father and son discuss their experiences as Clemson and Tiger mascot legacies.
What’s your Clemson story?
Martin Lowry: My parents graduated from Clemson. My family is full of engineers, so it made sense for me to come to school at Clemson. I enrolled in 1984. When I was here, I was involved in a fraternity. A friend suggested I try out to be the Tiger (mascot). I didn’t really have the personality to be the Tiger. I decided to try out and earned a backup position, which was junior varsity at the time. I learned from there, loved it and never wanted to do anything else. The next year, I moved up to varsity.
Thomas Lowry: I came to Clemson throughout my life as a child. We would go to tailgates and attend football, baseball and basketball games. I knew I was probably going to end up here at some point. I was accepted through the Tigertown Summer Bound program. My dad suggested I try out, but he didn’t push too hard. I decided to give it a shot. There were probably 20 people trying out. I looked around and thought, “Can I do this? Do I have the personality?” They said they wanted to offer me the position. It took off from there; I had an amazing support group throughout college. I started earning better appearances, including some weddings. The rest is history.
What was the greatest challenge you experienced as the Tiger?
TL: For me, it was learning the intricate details of the Tiger and keeping some of the core traditions alive. Doing pushups on the board. Being a face in the community. Making sure our signatures are close to the same. Making sure our walks are consistent. It was about making sure we put out the best version of the Tiger we can onto the field or venue.
ML: The physicality. I worked out a lot and tried to stay in shape. It was tough, and the games were hot. Keeping the Tiger fresh and coming up with originality was always a challenge as well.
What was your favorite part of being the Tiger?
TL: How personal you can get with people. You don’t say words, but you can make someone’s day. I enjoyed seeing how much the Tiger can bring people together. They might not have a single thing in common other than a love for Clemson. That’s all it takes. You never know what people are going through, but you can make their day. It’s about being personable.
ML: My favorite part was being around the kids. They’re attracted to and are closely watching the Tiger. Especially the young ones; they’re not watching the game, but they can tell you what the Tiger is doing.
What was the most motivational critique you received?
TL: It’s definitely from (my father). He comes to a lot of the games. We had a basketball game once, and he thought I wasn’t being seen enough or around the court enough. He told me there are no rules; no one’s going to tell you to get out of here. He told me I had room to roam. So, I took that to heart. Every basketball timeout, I’m on the court. I’m making sure I have props. That was probably the best motivation.
ML: I never had a problem getting motivated or being pumped up for games. It was a privilege. I loved doing it.
How do you think your role as the mascot shaped the Clemson Experience for people?
TL: Hopefully, I brought people together. You could be at an event, and the person you encounter may have never been to Clemson. The only representation they had of Clemson may have been the Tiger. Hopefully, I brought a positive impact to people who didn’t know much about Clemson and shaped their experience.
ML: John Seketa, a longtime administrator in Clemson Athletics, once told me, “Don’t forget, you’re the most visible and recognizable emblem for the University.” I disagreed and told him people knew Coach (Danny) Ford, or in today’s world, they know Coach (Dabo) Swinney. He said, “Ask a 4-year-old to pick out the Tiger, and they’ll point at you right away.” The fact people recognize the Tiger mascot as one of the symbols of Clemson is important.
You never know what people are going through, but you can make their day.
Thomas Lowry
How did being the mascot shape your Clemson Experience?
ML: I am still introduced to this day as, “This is Martin Lowry; he was the Tiger.” That was a long time ago! It has absolutely impacted me over the years. From meeting people and promoting Clemson, it was life-changing.
TL: It was about taking advantage of every opportunity I was given. It didn’t matter the event. I went to Texas this year; I went to Washington, D.C., last year. It shaped my experience because I made extra effort to meet people and get involved, whether it was in the suit or out of it. It opened a lot of doors; I met a lot of people I would not have met otherwise.
How did being the mascot shape your understanding of Clemson University?
TL: You see so many parts of campus and meet groups and clubs that you didn’t know existed. I show up, and it’s an entirely different community made up of great people at Clemson.
ML: When I was the Tiger, we didn’t do a lot of that. But they do now, and that’s why you have multiple Tigers and multiple Tiger Cubs. There are appearances almost every day, and sometimes multiple each day. I love how they’ve expanded the program because it’s important. We didn’t do weddings, and now they do them all the time.
What is your favorite Clemson memory outside of being the mascot?
ML: The best football experience I ever had — with the exception of home games — was the 2016 national championship win over Alabama in Tampa. We had not won a title since 1981, and that experience was unbelievable. We’ve also had some great basketball wins, including beating Duke and Kentucky this past season.
TL: It’s meeting the people at Clemson and finding something bigger than yourself. I really grew up my four years in college. I came out with such a different perspective on people because I found common ground at Clemson.
Thomas, how does it feel to be the only Tiger mascot legacy in Clemson history?
TL: It is unique. I have a totally different version of the Tiger; it’s not my father’s version. But I learned a lot about his version that helped shape my version. I get asked about it a lot. When people find out my dad was the Tiger, they think it’s a cool story. It helped me find my place at Clemson.
Thomas, you graduated in May. What was that experience like, and what is next for you following graduation?
TL: I wore the Tiger mitts with the construction science and management hard hat. We tape the tassel to the top of the hat. It was an incredible experience being in a smaller major; we only had about 40 of us graduating together. We all knew each other. It’s a personable major; I knew all my professors and keep in contact with some of them. It’s a hands-on major. We know we’ll see each other again in our professional lives.
ML: I have to brag on Thomas. He made the Dean’s List several times and made the President’s List his final semester. Instead of mailing it in, he made a 4.0 — all while keeping up his appearances as the Tiger.
TL: I’m starting my professional career working for my father’s company this summer. It’s a commercial and industrial HVAC business.
ML: He’s made a lot of great connections through Clemson. Our company does some work at the University, including recent facilities and renovations such as the Soccer Operations Complex, Byrnes Hall and the Tillman Hall auditorium.
