April 14, 2026
Among the legends: Ferris State mascot Brutus added to the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum
Brutus now stands among the immortals — and he got there in style.
The beloved Ferris State University Bulldogs mascot has joined the ranks of legends spanning sports, entertainment, politics — and even Pope Leo — with the debut of his very own bobblehead.
Brutus himself made the trip to Milwaukee to personally deliver the head-bobbing mini version of him to the founders of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
Museum founders Phil Sklar and Brad Novak gladly accepted the newest addition, placing it among more than 10,000 figures that line the shelves of the museum in the city’s Historic Third Ward.
“This is awesome,” Novak said of the Bobbing Brutus, depicted with paws outstretched and wearing a red Ferris State football jersey. “We sometimes have mascots in the museum, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a mascot here presenting a bobblehead of himself. This is great!”
Brutus made the trip to Milwaukee to personally deliver his likeness bobblehead.
The moment was even more special for Novak, who has a Ferris State connection. His cousin Katie is a graduate of the Professional Tennis Management program.
The Brutus bobblehead, which debuted in January, is already turning heads (and nodding them) at the Ferris Outfitters store on the Big Rapids campus and online. The figure was brought to life by Spirit Products, a Massachusetts-based company known for crafting custom collegiate memorabilia.
Ferris Outfitters manager Travis Curry said the idea came straight from Bulldog fans.
“Ferris State is a top school, with championship teams and high-quality academic programs,” he said. “We are a big-name school, and our reputation is growing. A big-name school definitely needs a bobblehead.”
Turning Brutus into bobblehead form was no quick task. Curry said the design process took about a year, with careful attention paid to every detail.
“They didn’t take a generic bulldog and turn it into a bobblehead,” Curry said. "They took great pains to ensure it was our Brutus.”
That attention to detail paid off — and now Brutus has a permanent place in bobblehead history.
Sklar and Novak’s journey to building the museum began in 2002, when they first started collecting while Novak worked for the Rockford RiverHawks baseball team. What began as tracking down stadium giveaways quickly grew into a passion project, then a traveling exhibit, and eventually a full-fledged museum, which opened in early 2019.
Today, their collection is believed to be the largest in the world, drawing about 20,000 visitors annually — including professional athletes, curious fans, and even actor Macaulay Culkin, who once stopped by after donating a bobblehead of his “Home Alone” character.
From 18th century “nodding dolls” to vintage sports figures and a 1960s Beatles set, the museum celebrates the history and joy of collectible figures.
“Bobbleheads are just fun to collect,” Sklar said. “People enjoy collecting things related to their favorite sports teams or a politician or movie character. And some people like seeing the value go up and up.”
The Brutus Bobblehead is now among over 10,000 figures in the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.
Among their most meaningful pieces is a bobblehead of their friend Michael Poll, a longtime University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panthers athletics manager and Special Olympian. Created in 2013, proceeds from Poll bobblehead sales continue to support Special Olympics.
On the business side, Sklar and Novak stay tuned into pop culture and politics — and one of this year’s hottest items has been a bobblehead of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff and a noted Chicago sports fan.
As for Brutus, he’s already settling into his new home.
The Bobbing Brutus now sits proudly on the museum’s “new arrivals” shelf alongside members of the U.S. soccer team and the cast of “Friends,” greeting visitors with his signature Bulldog spirit before eventually moving to the college mascots section.