Step aside, Bigfoot. There’s a creature that prowls the banks of Beautiful Eagle Creek and his legend is growing.

Yes, ManBearPig is real.

And he wears a Georgia Southern football jersey, No. 66.

"It’s like a Bigfoot kind of thing," said GSU All-American defensive lineman Brent Russell, who learned of his nickname Dec. 11, 2010, during the Eagles’ 23-20 victory against Wofford in the quarterfinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Russell said he heard a commotion among GSU fans in the stands at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C. He saw a fan holding a sign that read "Man + Bear + Pig = 66." Russell turned to GSU defensive back Brandon Lane and asked him what all the fuss was about.

"They’re calling you ManBearPig," Russell said Lane told him. "I never knew what it was until I YouTubed it. It’s a ‘South Park’ show. It’s pretty funny. I’m not a ‘South Park’ guy, but it’s pretty funny. It had to be a ‘South Park’ fan who is a fan of football."

"South Park," an animated sitcom on Comedy Central, first aired "ManBearPig" in 2006. In the sixth episode of the show’s 10th season, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore visits the town of South Park to warn residents about a monster that is "half man, half bear and half pig" and roams the earth attacking people.

That’s exactly what Russell loves to do on football fields throughout the country. The 6-foot-2, 291-pound rising senior from Comer is one of GSU’s best and most-beloved players.

"He’s an outstanding player," GSU head coach Jeff Monken said of the nose tackle. "It’s hard to think that there’s too many players in the country at this level that are better at their position than he is.

"He’s a very intense football player. If you stood out here and waited for the team to cross the bridge (over Beautiful Eagle Creek to the practice field), very rarely is he not the first one to hit the bridge. We always have a team meeting right before we leave the football offices to come down. He’s the first one out the door. Gets dressed as quickly as he can, and he’s the first one across the bridge. He wants to compete and he enjoys it."

Russell, who previously did not have a nickname, said he initially disliked being called ManBearPig but has embraced it.

"It’s definitely funny," he said. "These guys at practice, at first they were giving me (heck) and I didn’t like it, but it kind of grew on me. Everybody’s into it."

Russell’s mother, Renee, loves her son’s nickname and his folk hero following. She has a decal on the back window of her Ford Explorer that features a picture of him in uniform beside the words ‘Man + Bear + Pig = 66.’

"She actually gets asked about it everywhere she goes," Russell said, smiling. "Two years ago, at the (team) banquet, people were asking, ‘What does your mom think about your nickname?’ She’s like, ‘I’m the Pig’s mom.’ She got into it, too, so I had to get into it. It’s grown on me. It’s fun."

Monken said he isn’t quite sure what to make of ManBearPig.

"I’ve never watched ‘South Park.’ I watch the kids’ Disney Channel most of the time," said Monken, who has three children, Isabelle, Amelia and Evangeline. "(The nickname) kind of fits him. He’s a rough-and-tumble kind of guy, and I think our fans really get into it. It’s good. It’s good for them to feel a connection, and I think he likes it, enjoys the fact that they recognize that he’s a tough guy and plays hard.

"He’s a strong player. He runs well for a 300-pound guy. Really good hands. He’s a good player, and he does have an intensity about him that’s apparent to everybody that’s out here."

GSU must replace defensive linemen Roderick Tinsley and John Douglas, who were seniors last season. Russell said he hopes to draw double-team coverage from opponents to free up his teammates in pursuit of the ball-carrier.

"I used to say last year, if they start focusing on me, Roderick Tinsley was going to mess somebody up," Russell said. "It’s the same this year. Dion DuBose is back. We’ve got Blake Riley. Josh Gebhardt, he’s a three-year starter. He’s started every game since his freshman year. It’s hard for teams to key on one person. Our D-line is so good, across the board, that if they start keying on me, I’m going to love it because I’m going to be watching those guys tear people up."

Monken said he believes the Eagles’ defensive line has tremendous potential.

"I’m really excited about Dion DuBose and how he’s turned it loose being back out here again," Monken said. "He hasn’t been on the practice or game field for a live snap since the Western Carolina game in 2010. So I’m excited to have him out here, and I think he’s having a good spring.

"Josh Gebhardt, who has played a lot for us, is having a good spring. Blake Riley was hurt at the beginning of spring and is back out there, and I think doing some good things.

"We’ve got some guys that we haven’t heard as much from that I think are really starting to come around. Justice Ejike, he’s gained a lot of weight and is doing a nice job. Terico Agnew, really hustling. He’s up to the 230-(pound) range (from 218) at defensive end, and really runs well and plays hard. So I’m excited about that group."

Last season, Russell finished fourth on the team in tackles with 67, including a team-high 16.5 for loss and a team-high 6.5 sacks. His goal is to play in the NFL.

"It’s definitely on my mind, but it’s way in the back of my mind," Russell said. "If it happens, it happens. There’s a long season ahead of us, and I’m working to be a part of this team and try and be a leader on this team, and just get after it every day. I love this game."

If a career in the NFL doesn’t happen, Russell said a friend suggested that ManBearPig would serve him well in a different line of work.

"(He) said, ‘I watch WWE. You’ve got your wrestling name,’" Russell said, laughing.