Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Pop-Tarts mascot sacrifice is coming to the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. After escaping in December, Protein Slammin’ Strawberry will finally meet his end.
- Fans can watch the mascot be dropped into a giant toaster and served at Nova Place on April 24. The stunt builds on the viral success of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
- This marketing move bridges the gap between college and pro football. By leveraging the draft audience, the brand turns a quirky bowl game into a staple.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl legacy continues to be more and more unhinged. Football fans are here for it. What started as a pop culture phenomenon during college football bowl season is now making an incursion into the NFL. Pop-Tarts announced Thursday it will sacrifice another one of its live mascots at the upcoming draft in Pittsburgh.
OMG there’s going to be a @PopTartsUS Edible Mascot sacrifice for *fans* at the NFL Draft!
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) April 16, 2026
Protein Slammin’ Strawberry will be drafted by the fans and head to Mouth Heaven on Friday, April 24 at 3pm ET at Nova Place — 100 S. Commons, Pittsburgh, PA. (Venue opens at 1.) pic.twitter.com/5iQLzkntrH
Fans will have an opportunity to watch Protein Slammin' Strawberry be dropped into a giant toaster and served for consumption. It's the same honor the players of the winning team at every Pop-Tarts Bowl since 2024 have received.
Football fans react to Pop-Tarts' edible stunt announced for NFL Draft in Pittsburgh
It'll be a full circle moment of sorts for football fans. Protein Slammin' Strawberry is actually the very same mascot that escaped being toasted and eaten at the 2025 edition in December.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl postgame featured Slammin' Strawberry opting out of the sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/0FBRPBzvfm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 28, 2025
It appears he's been apprehended and will finally suffer (?) the same fate as his compatriots Cherry and Cookies & Creme. Fans took quick notice of his capture and appear excited to witness his crispy execution.
WHAT
— ¡El SooperMexican! ن c137 🦬 (@SooperMexican) April 16, 2026
[runs to car, starts driving to the PITT]
Hopefully he doesn't fake us out this time and escape his delicious fate.
— Asquith, Observer of the Fires 🇺🇦🔶 (@OnByStarlight) April 16, 2026
He thought he was safe but I guess notðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
— Jordon Lawrenz (@JordonLaw_PxP) April 16, 2026
It's a genius marketing move by The Kellogg Company, owner of the Pop-Tarts brand. It continues the bowl game's quirky lore in a unique way while capitalizing on the hype (and massive audience) of a professional football event with ties back to college football.
There are 11 total prospects in this year's draft who participated in the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl. Five of them played for the victorious BYU Cougars and the other six for Georgia Tech. One of them, the latter's Keylan Rutledge, could be taken as soon as the first round.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl has quickly become one of ESPN's most-watched postseason games outside the College Football Playoff after just three years of existence. Social media posts displaying the wacky antics by the mascots from the sidelines have garnered billions of impressions online.
If the response from fans is any indication, the upcoming tasty stunt at the draft should garner millions more and amplify an unlikely source of attention for college football bowl games.
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