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An Iowa State fan who goes to the games dressed up as iconic Star Wars villain Darth Vader has taken to social media to share the heartbreaking reason why he does it.
On Monday, a couple of days after the official Iowa State Athletics Twitter account posted a video of a man in a Darth Vader costume entering the stadium, a man named Troy DeJoode stepped forward to identify himself as the man in the costume.
Darth knows what’s up… 🌪️⚫️🏈😏 pic.twitter.com/eKKZuJWYoS
— Iowa State Athletics (@CycloneATH) October 19, 2024
In a lengthy thread, DeJoode explained how the costume is a remembrance of his late son Carson, who passed away in 2010 at the age of five years old.
“Several have asked if this was me. So yes this was me. it simply is a way for me to remember my 5-year-old son Carson who died in May 2010. In October 2010 I was wrestling with the deaths of Carson and his 5-month-old sister Claire,” Troy DeJoode shared on social media after a video of him at the game began going viral.
“Besides his siblings who he loved more than life itself Carson love three things. He loved Star Wars, his I-State Cyclones and Halloween. In Oct 2010 I decided that as a way to honor Carson’s love of Halloween & Star Wars I would dress up as Darth Vader to hand out full size candy bars on beggars night. I had an old Darth Vader mask I’d gotten along the way. It was a good one but old. The first year the costume was pretty rough except for the mask and we didn’t have many kids come down our cul de sac in the old neighborhood,” DeJoode continued.
“Over the years I changed bits and pieces of it improving it along the way. It’s not 501st quality and I have always been basically a fat guy in his 40s and now 50s dressing up like a supervillain. But for me it was never about being a perfect cosplay. It was about remembering Carson’s love of life and honoring his memory. Over the years the kids that came around loved it too. No one ever said ‘that’s not accurate’ or ‘you aren’t tall enough.’ They just loved it and so did a lot of parents.”
“Carson would have loved every minute of it. He would have loved this season. He would have loved this team,” DeJoode concluded his thread. “And when things looked down like they did Saturday night he would have no doubt whispered ‘Just Believe…’ And given a little force push. Go Clones!”
several have asked if this was me. So yes this was me. it simply is a way for me to remember my 5 year old son Carson who died in May 2010. In October 2010 I was wrestling with the deaths of Carson and his 5 mth old sister Claire. https://t.co/rTVx6vW0Jw
— Troy DeJoode (@tecumseh71) October 21, 2024
Iowa State is currently ranked 10th in the nation and has a 7-0 record, including a 4-0 record in Big 12 play. Over the weekend, the game in which DeJoode went viral for attending, the Cyclones beat the University of Central Florida in a 38-25 thriller. With only one ranked opponent left on their schedule (Kansas State, November 30), the Cyclones have a shot at finishing the 2024 season undefeated.