No More 'Popcorn' At Clearwater High Football Games

For the first time in four decades, the man with the red scooter and heavy wooden cane will not be on the sidelines of Jack White Stadium at Clearwater High School.

Wendell “Popcorn” Casper, known for his hardcore attendance at virtually every Clearwater Tornadoes game — home or away, varsity or junior varsity — died March 8, according to legacy.com. He was 77.

Riding up and down the sideline on a red scooter, Casper was an indelible image at football games.

It is estimated Casper attended more than 750 games since moving to the Clearwater area in 1984 and becoming a fan shortly after.

He created a longstanding game-day tradition of people raising his heavy wooden cane, according to an interview he gave in 2009 with myfoxtampabay.com.

His emphatic and enduring devotion to the team helped him become the only person to get a letter in football at the school, despite never playing a down or attending classes there.

In the video interview, Casper talked about being a Tornado football fan and his past as a farmer, which is where he got his nickname "Popcorn."

“Orville (Reddenbacher) kept getting richer and I kept getting poorer, so eventually I quit,” he said.

If you go:

What: Wendell "Popcorn" Casper memorial service

When: 4 p.m. Friday, March 15

Where: Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 455 Missouri Ave., Largo.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Suncoast Hospice, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd.

Sign up for the free Clearwater Patch email newsletter to stay connected to your community.