About Brutus
Brutus
first appeared on October 30, 1965, at the OSU vs. Minnesota Homecoming
game. He was a large, smiling nut made of paper mache with human
legs. In December that same year, care for Brutus was handed over to
"Block O," a student spirit organization. In September of 1975, a new
version of Brutus was made, this time without a smile. Instead of a nut
with legs, the head rested on the shoulders. Fans didn't like the
vicious look on the face and banished this version of Brutus. In 1977,
another version of Brutus was made almost the same body along with a
baseball cap. This added nearly sixty pounds to the weight of the
costume. In the same year, Sandy Foreman, the first female
performer, was the first to bear the eighty pound costume in one of the
most difficult seasons. In 1981 through 1982, the current version of
Brutus was developed, with touch-ups happening throughout the years. In
2005, Brutus celebrated his 40th birthday, and in 2007, his deam came
true when he was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.
Sometimes You Feeling Like A Nut
The
first version of Brutus was a buckeye nut with legs. Two weeks after
being made, the original model, because of it's size and weight, was
replaced by a twenty-two pound fiberglass shell with big, furry
eyebrows. He recieved his name almost a month after being made. The
winner of the contest, Kerry Reed, had submitted "Brutus Buckeye." In
December of 1975, the Buckeyes were headed to the Rose Bowl, but Brutus
wasn't. After being the mascot for three years, Keith Burkes was told
that "Block O" wasn't going to pay for him to go to Pasadena. On
January 1, after articles in the paper and public outcry, the Ohio
State Athletic Department stepped in adn sent Burkes on his way. They
transferred Brutus' care to the OSU Cheerleading Program, as it is
today. After a season of wearing his new hat, the "Walking Nut" version
of Brutus was retired at the age of sixteen. In his lifetime, he was
nut-napped or lost half a dozen times.
Information about the University:
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Enrollment: 54,989
Founded: 1870
Nickname: Buckeyes
Colors: Scarlet and Gray
President: Gordon Gee
Athletic Director: Eugene Smith
Joined Big Ten: 1912
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