Most Ohio State students are nuts about the Buckeyes, but for two sophomores it’s a little different – on game days they become nuts in the most literal sense.
Bill Rumple, a business administration major, and Cassidy Mullins, a pre-med and zoology major, are in their first year of becoming Brutus Buckeye.
“I would never have guessed how fun it has been,” Rumple said.
Both students have an athletic background. Rumple – who is originally from Rockford, Ohio – played football, basketball and ran track at Parkway High School.
At Findlay High School, Mullins played soccer and even wanted to be his school mascot his senior year. He was denied the role when an adviser told him he was “too tall” and wouldn’t fit into the costume.
OSU wasn’t even Rumple’s first choice for college. He was planning on attending a Division II school to play basketball. After talking to his friends who played sports at smaller schools though, he thought about his options.
“They said it was fun, but they missed a lot more than other friends at big schools,” Rumple said.
In the end, the size of OSU and its opportunities were too big to pass up for both students.
Mullins soon realized an opportunity at an OSU hockey game. Last February while attending a game, he saw Brutus interacting with the crowd, and it looked like a lot of fun to him.
“I just sat back and said, ‘I really want to do that,’ ” Mullins said.
Rumple was inspired by a newspaper ad to try out for Brutus Buckeye.
“I wanted to do something outside just being a student, and nobody is bigger on this campus than Brutus Buckeye,” Rumple said.
When the time for tryouts came in mid-April, Rumple and Mullins expected there to be between 50 or 60 people vying for a shot to become Brutus Buckeye. They were shocked when they saw only about 10 students. Suddenly the idea of becoming Brutus was very realistic.
“When I got there and saw there were 10 people I said, ‘Wow – my chances are pretty good at getting this,’ ” Rumple said. “It actually got to the point that I wanted it real bad.”
After winning the role, Mullins and Rumple had to begin learning how to be Brutus.
“The first few weeks were learning the walk, Brutus etiquette and how to handle yourself in certain situations,” Mullins said. Since then, Mullins and Rumple have never looked back.
“They caught on really fast,” said fellow Brutus Buckeye Emily Moor, a senior in communications. “Nothing they ever do is wrong, but I give them advice. They even come up with their own stuff – they’re pretty creative.”
Moor is in her second year as Brutus and only the second female Brutus in history. This is the first time three students have portrayed Brutus in one season.
Moor said it has been a lot easier having three students because of Brutus’ hectic schedule. Brutus is a regular at OSU football games, men’s and women’s basketball games, women’s volleyball matches and men’s hockey games.
Mullins and Rumple do a lot more than just make appearances at OSU athletic events. They have done everything from kids’ birthdays to pep rallies to commercials. Mullins even did an appearance with OSU cheerleaders, former quarterback Steve Bellisari and wide receiver Drew Carter at an OSU-themed bar mitzvah.
Both agreed they balance their work pretty well, though some weeks are worse than others.
“You’re either coasting or you’re bogged down,” Rumple said.
Rumple said when autumn sports overlap with winter sports is the busiest time of year.
Mullins said the benefits of being Brutus have far outweighed the sacrifices he has made.
“It’s definitely been a lot of work and time when I could have done other things,” Mullins said. “I’ve never really not wanted to do anything as Brutus. There probably isn’t a better football season to do it.”
Mullins said his most exciting moment as Brutus came when he traveled to Illinois for last Saturday’s game. “Being in the end zone during overtime was insane,” he said.
Rumple agreed traveling for football games is a different experience. He said his trip to Wisconsin earlier in the season was the opposite of OSU games because fans yelled and jeered at him since he was from OSU.
“It was one of the neatest experiences of my life,” he said.
“I’m so proud of him because he does an excellent job,” said Ruth Rumple, Bill’s mother. “Everyone seems to smile because it’s Brutus, and he seems to know what the crowd wants.”
Mullins said he enjoys traveling to places he wouldn’t normally get to visit and meeting people he typically wouldn’t meet.
“I found what I like is seeing reactions of little kids. They don’t exactly know what’s going on (at a game), but they see Brutus and it makes their day,” Mullins said. Mullins even took time out for Brutus to visit a hospital to meet a young boy with cancer.
“I think Brutus Buckeye is a special representative for the school,” said Sarah Jones, Cassidy’s mother, whose office is decorated with an OSU theme and pictures of her son. “It makes me proud that under that costume is my son.”
Aside from being Brutus, Rumple and Mullins enjoy having fun with friends. Rumple lives with friends he has known since kindergarten.
“Hanging out with those guys is a blast every weekend,” he said.
Although they hold the position of Brutus Buckeye this year, they are not guaranteed the spot for next year.
They will have to go through the same tryouts they did last spring. Both Mullins and Rumple said they would most likely try out again.
“I’m glad they’re two people I know that will carry on Brutus’ respectable reputation,” Moor said.
