Carson Steele had to say “See you later, alligator” to his beloved pet Crocky-J this football season.

The Kansas City Chiefs running back introduced his pet alligator to fans ahead of the NFL season opener on Thursday, September 5. After learning more about the popular reptile, fans were smitten with him.

During a press conference in August, the 21-year-old rookie told reporters about the nicknames he has earned since joining the team.

“My favorite song is ‘Crocodile’ because it’s my pet alligator,” Steele said on KCTV5. “I probably got him as a Christmas present in second or third grade.”

According to the Los Angeles TimesSteele’s father had ordered Crocky-J “over the Internet from an alligator farm in Florida.” When he released the baby alligator from the burlap sack he had used for delivery, it scurried across the floor and chaos ensued.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“I’ve had him for a while now. He’s at home in a big aquarium,” he added. Steele and the 4- to 5-foot-long Crocky-J live in Indiana. The running back clarified that Crocky-J is an alligator, not a crocodile, but he chose the name because he thought it “sounded a little better.”

During the September 5 broadcast, commentators pointed out that Crocky-J weighs over 100 pounds and showed a picture of young Steele holding a baby alligator.

“Carson told me that Crocky-J has his own room at his parent’s house in Indiana. But he hopes to bring him here to Kansas City soon,” they continued. “He just needs to fill out some exotic animal paperwork.”

Steele’s teammates are “very excited” to meet Crocky-J. And so are NFL fans.

After the alligator was mentioned during the NFL’s season opener, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to rave about the reptile. “This is the best thing I’ve seen all week, oh my god,” one fan said.

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“I’ve heard enough,” wrote another. “Make Crocky-J the new mascot of the Kansas City football team immediately.”

A third joked: “Just found out about Crocky J and would die for him.”

This fan seemed to sum up the general enthusiasm for the alligator: “I can’t stop thinking about Carson Steele owning an alligator named Crocky-J. The NFL is so back.”