Ohio State Band Member Nails 55-Yard Field Goal to Earn Football Tryout
After an Ohio State marching band practice inside Woody Hayes Athletic Center in December, trumpet player Austin Brizee bet his friends that he could make a field goal for a free meal at Chipotle. This was no chip shot; it was from 55 yards out. Of course, no one expected a band member to hit a field goal from such a distance, but Brizee did just that.
Hey @OSUCoachMeyer @OsuCoachCoombs, you guys need a kicker for Saturday? @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/e1UQWU0Nk1
— OSU Marching Band (@TBDBITL) December 27, 2016
One of his friends recorded the kick and posted it to Twitter, where it got the attention of Buckeyes assistant director of player personnel Eron Hodges, who found the kick impressive enough to offer Brizee a walk-on tryout with the football team through Twitter.
@TBDBITL @OSUCoachMeyer @OsuCoachCoombs @OhioStateFB not for Saturday but he definitely has a tryout invitation. Have him contact me
— Eron Hodges (@EronHodges) December 28, 2016
Don’t let Brizee’s band membership fool you. He is an excellent athlete. According to The Columbus Dispatch, he played baseball, soccer, golf and bowling at Brush High School near Cleveland. Brizee was even enrolled at Thiel College in Pennsylvania to play baseball. He eventually transferred to Ohio State after baseball didn’t work out.
Brizee might not have played football in high school, but playing soccer gave him leg strength and kicking technique that help him kick long field goals. Now Brizee is training with former OSU kicker Kyle Clinton, who only has good things to say about him.
Coming up at 6:40, meet @AhYoBreezy, the @TBDBITL player hoping to soon be a member of the @OhioStateFB team. I think he’s got a shot! pic.twitter.com/xOOoZqCNaJ
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_NBC4) February 6, 2017
“He has all the ability in the world,” Clinton said. “As of right now, he doesn’t have the background, the fundamentals. That’s what we’re working on. It’s all about the repetitions and getting the muscle memory and getting everything consistent. That just takes time and practice.”
If he makes the team, Brizee already has a plan ready for playing on both the band and the team. “One of my band directors said, ‘yeah, I’ll let you march in your football uniform but I don’t think that’s going to happen,”’ he told nbc4i.com.
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Ohio State Band Member Nails 55-Yard Field Goal to Earn Football Tryout
After an Ohio State marching band practice inside Woody Hayes Athletic Center in December, trumpet player Austin Brizee bet his friends that he could make a field goal for a free meal at Chipotle. This was no chip shot; it was from 55 yards out. Of course, no one expected a band member to hit a field goal from such a distance, but Brizee did just that.
Hey @OSUCoachMeyer @OsuCoachCoombs, you guys need a kicker for Saturday? @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/e1UQWU0Nk1
— OSU Marching Band (@TBDBITL) December 27, 2016
One of his friends recorded the kick and posted it to Twitter, where it got the attention of Buckeyes assistant director of player personnel Eron Hodges, who found the kick impressive enough to offer Brizee a walk-on tryout with the football team through Twitter.
@TBDBITL @OSUCoachMeyer @OsuCoachCoombs @OhioStateFB not for Saturday but he definitely has a tryout invitation. Have him contact me
— Eron Hodges (@EronHodges) December 28, 2016
Don’t let Brizee’s band membership fool you. He is an excellent athlete. According to The Columbus Dispatch, he played baseball, soccer, golf and bowling at Brush High School near Cleveland. Brizee was even enrolled at Thiel College in Pennsylvania to play baseball. He eventually transferred to Ohio State after baseball didn’t work out.
Brizee might not have played football in high school, but playing soccer gave him leg strength and kicking technique that help him kick long field goals. Now Brizee is training with former OSU kicker Kyle Clinton, who only has good things to say about him.
Coming up at 6:40, meet @AhYoBreezy, the @TBDBITL player hoping to soon be a member of the @OhioStateFB team. I think he’s got a shot! pic.twitter.com/xOOoZqCNaJ
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_NBC4) February 6, 2017
“He has all the ability in the world,” Clinton said. “As of right now, he doesn’t have the background, the fundamentals. That’s what we’re working on. It’s all about the repetitions and getting the muscle memory and getting everything consistent. That just takes time and practice.”
If he makes the team, Brizee already has a plan ready for playing on both the band and the team. “One of my band directors said, ‘yeah, I’ll let you march in your football uniform but I don’t think that’s going to happen,”’ he told nbc4i.com.