Graduates of the University of Maryland are nicknamed Terrapins, which is a type of turtle, also known as a Diamondback terrapin, named so for the distinct diamond pattern on its shell. The University of Maryland variety, however, is often referred to as Terps and includes the 27 athletic teams, men and women, which represent the University of Maryland, Collge Park, in the NCAA Division competition.
The strange term was coined back in 1932 by the school’s football coach, Dr. Harry C. “Curley” Byrd, who later went on to become the school’s president. At that time the sports teams of Maryland were called the “Old Liners” which was a reference to the state’s nickname, “The Old Line State.” This nickname did not catch the fancy of the school newspaper, which was called the Diamondback. Coach Byrd thought that perhaps “terrapin “ would work better, and the name also had the advantage of referring to the much loved diamondback terrapins which populated the region of Chesapeake Bay. As a matter of fact, the town where Byrd lived was well-known for the amount of terrapins dwelling along is coastline.
The school mascot is a terrapin with the unlikely name of “Testudo.”
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