An outburst by the overly excited Arizona State University mascot Sparky may cost the Tempe institution thousands of dollars, after a local councilman sued the school over injuries he says he sustained during the halftime ceremony of a Sept. 18 football game against the University of New Mexico.

David Schapira had undergone a major back operation in July. As the councilman stood on the sidelines of Sun Devil Stadium, a man in the Sparky costume sneaked up and jumped on him, the Arizona Republic reported.

"A moment after he landed squarely on my back, I felt a pop in my lower back," Schapira wrote in court documents. "I tried to push Sparky off as my wife and others yelled to him to get off, but I needed the assistance of another Council Member, Joel Navarro, to get him off my back. I then sat down and eventually laid down on the ground as I could feel muscles in my back start to spasm."

The councilman has now filed a claim for more than $96,000, as well as an additional $27,000 to reimburse the City of Tempe, The Associated Press reported. He insisted that he did not necessarily plan to sue the institution, but that state law requires a person to file a formal claim if they seek payment.

Arizona State University already apologized for the incident, though they noted that Sparky had not been aware of the politician's recent surgery. Nevertheless, the university had offered to cover Schapira's medical costs, according to CBS News.

"ASU sincerely apologizes for Sparky's excessive exuberance at Friday night's game," the school had said in a statement after the game, the network noted. "University officials have been in regular contact with Councilman Schapira since the incident and we have offered our fullest assistance and cooperation in getting his bills paid and we wish him a speedy recovery."

Sparky the Sun Devil has been the official mascot of Arizona State University's athletic teams since 1951. The mascot's facial features are rumored to resemble those of the designer's former boss, legendary cartoonist Walt Disney.