In 1966, Sidney Sue Graham cheered the then-Eagles on from the stands, referring to them as the "Mean Green," which caught on with a subset of fans around her. While it's thought she was referring to North Texas star "Mean" Joe Greene, she maintained that she was rooting for the whole Eagles defense. Her husband, Fred, the school's sports information director, snuck the nickname into football press releases, and it soon took off, much like this flying eagle logo.