For Truman Brody-Boyd, the average Friday evening consists of helping lead Shabbat programs at the Brody Jewish Center, home of the University’s Hillel chapter. As Associate Director, he chats with the dozens of students who make the trek out past Lambeth Field to enjoy an evening together. Many of those Hillel regulars are accomplished individuals that make an impact at the University. Brody-Boyd, who graduated from the University in 2019, is undoubtedly one of these accomplished individuals — but in a unique way.
Brody-Boyd was Cavman at the 2019 National Championship game for men’s basketball. That Cavman legacy, a legacy which entailed being the face of University spirit, was a labor of love according to Brody-Boyd.
Anyone who attended a football game or a men’s basketball game during Brody-Boyd’s time at the University likely met him without even knowing it. This particular “Cav-amigo,” — as Brody-Boyd put it — was serving Virginia Athletics everywhere, including the 2019 men’s basketball National Championship, one of the most important games in University history.
Alongside the men’s basketball team, Brody-Boyd — then in his fourth year at the University — made the trip up to Minneapolis, Minn. for Virginia’s chance at “one shining moment.” While certainly special, it was not all fun and games. Brody-Boyd was there for business, and had to keep his energy up.
“For most of the final games, of course, while cheering on the Hoos, I was just making sure I wasn't on ESPN, ‘not top-10’ by passing out in the suit because I was so gassed,” Brody-Boyd said.
By the end of this game, Brody-Boyd and the Cavaliers hoisted a trophy — marking one of the greatest wins in school history. Considering that Virginia has claimed at least one national title in a sport throughout each of the past four years, a potential Cavman can dream of being part of a Cavaliers championship.
To don the Cavman suit is to be the unknown face of the entire University community. High-fiving little kids, posing for selfies with Virginia fans and proudly leading school spirit are essential parts of what makes this job and Grounds more broadly special. But the path to becoming one of these Cav-amigos is not always straightforward and rarely easy.
Back during the fall of 2015, Brody-Boyd was convinced to try out to be one of five to seven Cavmen after some friends on the cheer team convinced him to give it a shot. Brody-Boyd had been on his high school cheerleading team and wanted to get involved at the University. He then reached out to Coach Kelly Haney — who leads all spirit teams — with a formal email. Unfortunately, as many students have personally experienced, the response was a rejection letter.
“I was taking it very seriously because this is U.Va., blah, blah, blah,” Brody-Boyd said. “And she writes me back like, ‘Thanks so much for reaching out. Talk to you in the spring.’ They do only spring tryouts for Cavmen.”-
So Brody-Boyd waited eagerly for his time in the spotlight. In the spring of 2016, it came — and it was glorious. Brody-Boyd’s high school experience proved valuable. At tryouts, he performed the Cavman moves well, well enough to earn a spot on the coveted Cavman team.
From then on out, he and a team of five or six others performed at every home game for football and men’s basketball, plus a bevy of other sports both at home and on the road. For the next seven semesters, he was an official Cavman and was a captain for his last two years on the team.
“Getting to represent the University is really special,” Brody-Boyd said. “And it's definitely a unique perspective on not only our sporting events, but also the community that U.Va. creates, and the passion that our fans bring to athletics, it's a lot of fun. So it was a really special experience.”
Brody-Boyd performed at dozens of games across various sports during his time at the University. He would hype up the crowd, take selfies with young fans and stroll about the concourse dancing along to the sweet sound of the Cavalier Marching Band.
But just like the University spirit all across Grounds, Cavman is a team effort — it takes more than just one Cavman. To maintain the mascot, one of the most important figures in Brody-Boyd’s journey has one of the most crucial jobs of all — cleaning the suits.
“The U.Va. athletic equipment takes care of the suits well,” Brody-Boyd said. “They do a great job. So [I] have to shout out Matt Althoff and that entire equipment room crew for taking really good care of the suits.”
According to Brody-Boyd, anyone can try out to be one of the five to seven “Cav-amigos.”
“Anyone can be Cavman,” Brody-Boyd said. “I think that's important, right? Like, we're a representative of U.Va. and of our spirit and our community, and that can be embodied in a million different ways and by a million different people … And so I want everyone to know that, anyone can be Cavman.”
Since 2019, dozens of Cavmen have performed in countless games all across the country. Many have come and gone as their personal journeys take them elsewhere. But nearly six years later, Brody-Boyd is still serving the University community with a smile — just sans-costume.
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