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Thirty-Five Years of Shenanigans: The Man Behind KC Wolf
Dan Meers, the man behind KC Wolf, is retiring after 35 years
By Matt McMullen Jul 02, 2025
Photographs By Evan Sanders

His 85-inch hips, size 23 shoes and relentless personality are unmistakable. He's a fixture both on and off the field for generations of fans, representing a brief escape from reality that only a larger-than-life persona can provide.

It's the magic of KC Wolf – the Kansas City Chiefs' iconic mascot – and for more than three decades, the man behind the fun, inspiration and excitement has been Dan Meers, who it set to retire this month after 35 years with the red and gold.

"I once heard life is like a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you only get to spend it once. So spend it wisely."

The journey has touched every aspect of Meers' life, from traveling the world to taking the field at multiple Super Bowls. He has playfully heckled opponents for all but three games since 1990, and away from the gridiron, Meers has brightened spirits for those in need through visits around Kansas City, the United States and all over the globe.

The shenanigan-loving KC Wolf has been the vehicle for generating that joy over the years, but make no mistake, the costume has never defined Meers' life. In fact, it was really just the opposite.

KC Wolf is an extension of who Meers is.

Dan Meers teaches kids age 5-12 how to perform as mascots. Wolf University was held at Chiefs Training Camp on Sunday, August 4, 2019.

"I read one time that if you ask a man his occupation, you'll find out how he pays his bills, but if you ask him his preoccupation, then you'll discover the passion of his life," Meers said. "My occupation was a mascot – I paid my bills by running around in a costume – but my preoccupation – and what I'm truly passionate about – are my faith, my family and using my life to make a positive impact in this world. That's what I try and focus on each and every day."

Meers certainly accomplished that goal over the course of his career, logging over 10,000 total events across 38 states and 12 countries. He visited schools, hospitals, birthday parties, weddings, proposals and fundraisers while also handling his weekend responsibilities on game days, and what makes his resume all the more remarkable is how modestly it began.

KC Wolf poses in the end zone during a 1994 NFL game.

"I was reading the school newspaper one day at Mizzou, and I saw they were having tryouts for Truman the Tiger," Meers recalled. "I just thought it seemed interesting, so I went to the informational meeting and decided, 'What the heck, I'll try out.

'"An avid sports fan but a self-described "three-sport benchwarmer" in high school, Meers had never been a mascot before. His only experience in costumes had been on Halloween.

"I tried out, and I honestly wasn't really sure what I was doing," Meers said. "I tried to just be animated and have high energy, and while I don't know if I was great at my tryout, I was good enough to get a job."

Kansas City Chiefs mascot Dan Meers gives a speech in 1992.

And as it turned out, Meers was a fast learner. As one of four performers on campus, he quickly worked his way to the top position among his fellow mascots. He began to impress on the national level, too, finishing with a top-four ranking in collegiate mascot competitions each year from 1988-90, and earning No. 1 honors in 1989.

Meers was a natural, and he even landed a gig with the St. Louis Cardinals while he was still in school, but even then, pursuing a career as a professional mascot wasn't really on his mind until the folks just down I-70 reached out with an opportunity.

"I figured I'd do it in college and then I'd get a real job like everybody else, but when I was doing Fred Bird for the Cardinals and finishing up college, I got a call out of the blue from the Kansas City Chiefs," Meers said. "They asked if I'd be interested in this new mascot program that they were starting up called KC Wolf, so I got to thinking about it and just thought it'd be a great opportunity."

Meers figured he'd have fun for a few years before embarking on a more standard career path soon after, but two years turned into 10, which turned into 20, and now – remarkably – 35 years.

KC Wolf prior to an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium, Sunday, December 5, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri.

His performances quickly became a staple of the game day experience in Kansas City, from greeting opposing fans with a pie in the face to his hilarious wardrobe that grew seemingly every year. His loveable antics were yet another example of how sports can provide a welcome distraction from the realities of everyday life, and it's something Meers achieved with pride.

"I have a quote on my desk that reads, 'Laughter is like changing a baby's diaper. It won't change things permanently, but it sure makes things more bearable for a little while.' I've always loved that quote because my goal is to bring a smile to people's faces," Meers explained. "I might not be able to change their circumstances, but every day I go out, I have the opportunity to bring some happiness and joy into their lives. They can forget their bigger issues or problems at least for a short while."

KC Wolf slides on a gymnasium floor during a Read Across America event on March1, 2019.

It's an inspiring lifestyle full of perspective, and despite 35 years on the job, Meers never lost the enthusiasm that he initially brought to KC Wolf more than three decades ago.

"I have countless stories," Meers said. "In one word, it has been so joyful. I've learned a lot about the things we chase in life, and that those things aren't that important. Everybody is looking for joy, but they're looking in all the wrong spots. I learned a long time ago that the most important things in life aren't things, but relationships, and those relationships make for a pretty good life. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

KC Wolf gives Tony DiPardo a gift during a 1999 home game.

Meers' positivity and energy are simply infectious, but he hasn't navigated this path without his own share of adversity. Twelve years ago, an accident during a practice run of a stunt left Meers with seven broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a shattered tailbone and a broken vertebra among a laundry list of injuries.

It was a terrible stroke of luck that would end most careers, but not Meers'.

"My wife asked me if I thought I was going to retire, but I told her that I loved what I do too much," Meers said. "I wanted to work hard and get back, and when you've been in the league for 24 years, you at least want to get to 25, right? It just made me appreciate it even more."

With that mind, through all of the ups and downs, Meers shared three guiding principles by which he lives his life:

1) Life is a contact sport: It can be challenging, and you never know what someone else may be going through.

2) Life is a team sport: We need each other. Nobody can do this alone.

3) Life isn't a spectator sport: We're called to get in the game, and you don't make a difference by standing on the sideline. The rewarding part of life is when you get in the game and make a difference.

KC Wolf poses for a selfie with some Kansas City Chiefs fans on Thursday, September 17, 2015.

He's acted on that perspective, too. Meers has written books, he works as a motivational speaker, and he's even made KC Wolf a world traveler. He's visited India, the Philippines, Haiti and Tanzania, to name a few places, to spend time with kids at orphanages in need of a good time.

Additionally, Meers has donated all proceeds from his book sales – a figure around $250,000 – to charities and causes around the world, directly assisting orphanages, clean water facilities and compassion centers.

"These kids may not know who KC Wolf is – they might not even know much about football – but if you show up in a costume, you're automatically friends," Meers said. "I can communicate with anybody in a costume, and that's been the most rewarding stuff. The Super Bowls have been great, but you can't beat seeing those kids' faces."

Kansas City Chiefs mascot KC Wolf poses for a picture with students during a community event in 2013.

Indeed, the silliness and positivity that radiates from KC Wolf is undeniable and can shatter barriers, but in the end, it all gets back to the man behind the costume. Physically, KC Wolf is just three components – a midsection, shoes and a head - that make up a suit. It has been Meers – and the way that he approached every single day – that made the magic come to life.

"This was the greatest job in the world. I worked for the greatest sports franchise in the world with the greatest owners in the world and the greatest fans in the world," Meers said. "It was a thrill of a lifetime, and I was reminded of that every single day."

Meers will close that chapter of his life this summer, and while the character he so carefully crafted will continue on, there will never be another Dan Meers.

The best photos of Dan Meers in his 35 year long career as the Kansas City Chiefs Mascot, KC Wolf.

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