The Kansas City Chiefs marked National Mascot Day on Tuesday, June 17 by announcing that the longtime performer of KC Wolf, Dan Meers, will retire after 35 seasons.

Meers, a St Charles native, has donned the iconic mascot costume of KC Wolf since 1990, and before that portrayed Fredbird, the St Louis Cardinals mascot. He was also one of the first to suit up as the University of Missouri’s Truman the Tiger, who debuted in 1986. As KC Wolf, Meers performed at 307 games at Arrowhead Stadium, and traveled with the team to six international games, most recently at Frankfurt, Germany in 2023. He also went to all five of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl appearances since 2019, while appearing at 14 Pro Bowls.

In total, Meers has brought KC Wolf to life at nearly ten-thousand appearances, ranging from community events and birthday parties to grand openings and military installation visits. Meers has also developed a series of speaking engagement programs including corporate, community, and faith-based presentations. His longtime tenure led to KC Wolf being the first NFL mascot inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006, and is thus far the only mascot in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

The Chiefs noted in their announcement that candidates to succeed Meers as KC Wolf are already going through the interview process, and Meers will remain involved with the Chiefs as a consultant and backup.