A character with character: Man behind KC Wolf for 35 years retires

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The man behind KC Wolf is officially retiring.

Dan Meers has taken me behind the scenes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and even let us in while he packed up for recent Super Bowl trips.

He has been a part of big memories for thousands of you in Chiefs Kingdom.

I got a chance to sit down with Meers as he looks back on his 35-year career behind the beloved mascot.

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"There's just something about once you buckle the chin strap in place and tuck the fur in, it's game on," Meers said while sitting in his home last week. "You just go do crazy stuff."

From the wild wolf eyes to Meers' crazy hip moves, KC Wolf is a Kansas City icon.

"I'll probably have to have a hip replacement here in about two years after I retire, but it's been fun," he laughed.

But Meers isn't completely hanging up his gear.

"I can stick around and be a backup wolf," he said. "I'm just not going to be the full-time wolf."

"So not fully retiring?" I asked.

"Not fully retiring," Meers said. "I've still got a few dance moves left I get to share with the world. This past season, I became a grandpa — not once but twice. And I told the Chiefs, I've been a full-time mascot, part-time grandpa. I want to be a full-time grandpa, part-time mascot."

KC Wolf is busy. The mascot makes hundreds of appearances a year, including major life moments.

"I've walked five women down the aisle," Meers said. "I've been best man at 10 or 11 weddings; I didn't even know who the groom was."

And in a rare mascot move, Meers has a career speaking without his mask, too.

"When I took the job with the Chiefs, I wanted to use it as a platform to make an impact in the lives of young people," he said.

You can see that impact today.

Andrew Johnson still remembers when he got to try on the wolf suit when Meers spoke at his Lee's Summit elementary school years ago.

"That day, I not only wanted to become a mascot, but I wanted to be just like Dan Meers whenever I got older. He's been my role model ever since," Johnson said.

Johnson is now the man behind Toro, the mascot for the Houston Texans.

"Super proud of that guy," Meers said.

Andrew Johnson

Meers' influence extends across the NFL; the Mascot Lifetime Achievement Award is named after him.

"He has inspired so many people around the mascot industry," Johnson said. "We all reference him as the GOAT. He's the greatest of all time. He's awesome in costume, but he always talks about being a character with character."

Meers has an extensive bobblehead collection of mascots at his home, which I got to see.

"When I look at those bobble heads, not only do I see the character, I know who the person is under the costumes," he said. "That is all just part of 35 years of building relationships."

He said the people always made his job special.

Andrew Johnson

"The Denver Broncos mascot just drove here to Kansas City for my wife's celebration of life service," Meers said. "Just the friendships that I have made over these past 35 years, not only with other mascots, but with just people all across the Midwest and around the world. That's what's special."

Cam Meers, Dan's wife of over 30 years, passed away in May.

"Special gal, No. 1 supporter by far. She was always there," Meers said. "And, you know, I'll be honest, not every day I came home from work and I looked good or smelled good, and she just kept loving on me. And so, married to her for almost 32 years."

His faith and family are always at the forefront, and retiring will give him even more time to spend as a grandpa and dad. Meers will also have time for a big first as a Chiefs fan...

"For the first time in 35 years, I get to go to a Chiefs game," he said. "Don't have to watch a game through fur at Arrowhead Stadium. I'm going to go to sit and watch it without fur over my face."

Meers will forever be a part of Chiefs Kingdom.

"That's the best part of this job, are the relationships that I've made," Meers said. "And that's like I said, I love Kansas City, I love Chiefs kingdom, I even love the Broncos mascot. It is much, much more than a job."

Before KC Wolf, Meers was Truman the Tiger at the University of Missouri-Columbia, as well as the mascot for the St. Louis Cardinals for a while.

Meers is a two-time published author. He gives the proceeds to charity, and he plans to keep speaking.

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