Maverick was born a year earlier, but had to wait until his first birthday on Homecoming Weekend of 2007 for the world to know his name.
The robust and jovial equine has served as the masot of Midwestern State University officially since 2006 which, ironically, was a year after the institution officially changed to Mustangs to leave the list of 19 schools with mascots that the NCAA deemed hostile and abusive.
Midwestern State's Indian moniker survived 83 years as the school developed through the junior college ranks first as Wichita Falls Junior College and Hardin Junior College before becoming a full-fledged four-year instution in 1946. The school moved from Hardin College to Midwestern University in 1950 before arriving at Midwestern State University in 1975.
With Maverick on board, MSU has thrived claiming 11 Lone Star Conference championships in the mascot's first four years of life including a Final Four run by the men's soccer program in 2007 and an Elite Eight appearance from the men's basketball squad in 2010.