“Being a hype man is bringing whatever talent I can to help the team, to bring the energy, to bring our fans to their feet,” says Tomm Polos. (USC Photo/Stephen Gee)
Dodgers’ official ‘hype man’ brings winning mentality to USC
Tomm Polos, the “life of the stadium” for the world champions, doubles as a professor at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
When the Los Angeles Dodgers dramatically sealed back-to-back World Series wins, no one cheered louder than Tomm Polos, an assistant professor and the Rodric David Chair of Creator Arts at the USC School of Dramatic Arts.
Polos, the official “hype man” for the Dodgers, lost his voice during the celebrations. His boundless enthusiasm and witty motivational energy were a constant feature of the team’s triumphant season. In a recent interview with The Players’ Tribune, Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernández described Polos as “electric” and “the life of the stadium.”
“Being a hype man is bringing whatever talent I can to help the team, to bring the energy, to bring our fans to their feet,” Polos said. “I may not be able to hit the ball as far as Freddie Freeman, I may not be able to pitch as well as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but I can make people have a ball and get them excited about ball.”
Polos, who graduated from the USC School of Dramatic Arts and once served as the Tommy Trojan mascot for the USC men’s basketball team, brings the same dynamic energy to the content creation classes he teaches.
“I’m all about getting students excited and using their authentic artistry to elevate their work, to leverage technology, leverage excitement and all the things they can do to enhance their storytelling,” he said.
