It’s almost impossible to stand out on game day at the University of Georgia. A sea of red and black covers Sanford Stadium and 93,000 fans become one giant wave of energy. But standing out is what Caleb Camesi does best. As UGA’s newest Mic Man, it’s the job he was born to do.
Mic Man is a tradition that has been passed down from Bulldog to Bulldog. Like the Dread Pirate Roberts, the name is what carries on the reputation. As part of UGA’s Spirit Squad, Mic Man is the stadium’s “hype man.” He gets the crowd energized and cheers on the squad. Part cheerleader, part crowd conductor, Camesi describes himself as an “out-of-suit Hairy Dawg.”
“If the vibes are high, keep ’em high, the vibes are low, get ’em up,” he says.
Mic Man at UGA
Like many of UGA’s current students, Camesi didn’t know what a Mic Man was when he arrived on campus. The last one was Chip Chambers in 2019, a legend in his own right.
Camesi went to the games but mostly kept his head down and in the books during his first year at UGA. As a pre-med student with aspirations to become a surgeon, he wanted to make his parents proud of his work at UGA.
“Neither of my parents had the traditional college experience,” he explains. “My mom joined the Navy really young and got her degree online later. My dad grew up learning carpentry in Switzerland before joining the Army. So coming into college, I wanted to make sure their hard work didn’t go to waste.”
A single conversation got Camesi onto the field. In 2025, he and a friend went to one of the cheerleader tailgates before a game.
“He looked at the squad, and he looked at me,” Caleb laughed. “Then he said, ‘You know, who would be really good at this?”
Six months later, Camesi was right in the middle of MCAT season when that same friend called to remind him about Spirit Squad tryouts. Twenty-four hours after his audition, he got the email: “Congratulations, you’ve been selected as UGA’s Mic Man.”
In his first game in the role, Camesi picked up the microphone and looked up to see thousands of people filing into the stadium.
“When it was time for the Georgia Bulldogs chant, my heart was pounding so hard. I kind of blacked out because of the adrenaline,” Camesi says. “You hear the roaring of the crowd, and it all felt so surreal.”
When the time came, he yelled into the mic, “Dawg fans, on your feet!”
And thousands of students stood up.
“No matter if we’re down by 30 or up by a million, you’ve got to keep the same energy and keep the crowd high because that’s such a big factor in how people feel at the end of the game.”
From Stethoscope to Microphone
Camesi and Hairy Dawg quickly got a clever routine going. Camesi likes to bring the mascot over to the crowd so they can see a familiar face. They dance, cheer, and run until they’re out of breath.
“Sometimes people see me and wonder who this random guy with a microphone stand is, but once I get Hairy, they know I’m legit,” says Camesi.
From the Human Roller Coaster to sideline dance parties, Camesi is making sure both he and the crowd have as much fun as possible. He sees himself as a liaison between the fans and the field and takes his job very seriously.
“No matter if we’re down by 30 or up by a million, you’ve got to keep the same energy and keep the crowd high because that’s such a big factor in how people feel at the end of the game,” Camesi says.
Being Mic Man wasn’t in Camesi’s carefully planned future, but he’s determined not to leave anything on the table since you never know where life will take you.
“Years ago, I got a fortune cookie that said, ‘You’ll prosper in the field of medicine,’ and now I’m planning to be a doctor,” he says “I still keep it in my phone case.”
Practicing medicine is still the goal, but somewhere between MCAT prep and game day chants, he’s learned that college is about more than just classes and careers. It’s about showing up, taking chances, and grabbing the mic when someone hands it to you.
“I didn’t choose this role,” Caleb says. “But I’m really glad it chose me.”
