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Within a week of Kurt Steelman learning that he made the Brutus Buckeye team, he joked that his entire hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, found out thanks to his excited mother.
Brutus team members are sworn to secrecy about their role and are only allowed to share their news with a select few. Steelman said he wasn’t too worried though.
“They're too busy worrying about their fictional SEC and ACC,” Steelman teased.
Trying out for the Brutus team was the most effort Steelman had ever put into something, he said. He wasn’t entirely sure that he would make the team though.
That’s because he’s 6-feet-6-inches tall.
“I’m not the traditional physical choice,” Steelman said.
The team affectionately calls him “Tall Brutus.”
There are no height requirements to be Brutus Buckeye. Anyone with enough team spirit is welcome to try out. But Steelman joining the team did create some new logistical challenges, he said.
For instance, football games are typically split between two team members. When Steelman is on the schedule, his coaches need to make sure that he’s with the second-tallest team member so it doesn’t look like Brutus had a growth spurt at halftime.
Steelman did want to have some fun with his height though. Steelman and his teammate Jeff Moody (who is decidedly not 6-feet-6-inches tall) asked Head Coach Ray Sharp if they could both go be Brutus at the Cotton Bowl in 2025 when Ohio State played Texas.
To their surprise, Sharp said yes.
Steelman was in costume and standing on the sidelines when Jack Sawyer’s 83-yard scoop-and-score sealed Ohio State's win over Texas.
Steelman said witnessing historic moments like that are a huge perk of the job. But being Brutus, he said, is all about support.
“Football is obviously cool because that's what Brutus was designed for,” Steelman said. “But that support element, it's really special to not just the actual athletes but to people all across the state. It's really special when you are able to elevate their day and their general experience. I really wanted to appreciate that."
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tall Brutus Buckeye Kurt Steelman stands out
Continue reading...
Brutus team members are sworn to secrecy about their role and are only allowed to share their news with a select few. Steelman said he wasn’t too worried though.
“They're too busy worrying about their fictional SEC and ACC,” Steelman teased.
Trying out for the Brutus team was the most effort Steelman had ever put into something, he said. He wasn’t entirely sure that he would make the team though.
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That’s because he’s 6-feet-6-inches tall.
“I’m not the traditional physical choice,” Steelman said.
The team affectionately calls him “Tall Brutus.”
There are no height requirements to be Brutus Buckeye. Anyone with enough team spirit is welcome to try out. But Steelman joining the team did create some new logistical challenges, he said.
For instance, football games are typically split between two team members. When Steelman is on the schedule, his coaches need to make sure that he’s with the second-tallest team member so it doesn’t look like Brutus had a growth spurt at halftime.
You must be registered for see images attach
Steelman did want to have some fun with his height though. Steelman and his teammate Jeff Moody (who is decidedly not 6-feet-6-inches tall) asked Head Coach Ray Sharp if they could both go be Brutus at the Cotton Bowl in 2025 when Ohio State played Texas.
To their surprise, Sharp said yes.
Steelman was in costume and standing on the sidelines when Jack Sawyer’s 83-yard scoop-and-score sealed Ohio State's win over Texas.
Steelman said witnessing historic moments like that are a huge perk of the job. But being Brutus, he said, is all about support.
“Football is obviously cool because that's what Brutus was designed for,” Steelman said. “But that support element, it's really special to not just the actual athletes but to people all across the state. It's really special when you are able to elevate their day and their general experience. I really wanted to appreciate that."
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Tall Brutus Buckeye Kurt Steelman stands out
Continue reading...
