For the first time in 18 years and only the third time in history, a woman will lead the Buckeyes into the Horseshoe.
Emily Moor and Tom Phillips were recently announced as the two new Brutus Buckeyes for the 2001-2002 season.
Moor will be the first woman to wear the Brutus costume since 1983. The first woman to don the costume did so in the late 1970s.
About the same number of women try out for the position each year, said OSU cheerleading coach Judy Bunting. “About 15 women contacted me before tryouts, but only three actually tried out.”
Bunting said the strong character of Brutus would not be compromised by having a female in uniform. Phillips and Moor are about the same height, approximately 5 feet 7 inches, and have similar builds, but the likeness in size does not factor into making the decision. It all comes down to who can portray the character the best.
Tryouts are held during the course of a weekend with a week of mascot clinics preceding them. The tryouts are comprised of an interview with a panel of judges, performance of the fight-song to see the candidate’s ability to perform routines, improvisations, typical “game day” situations to see how each participant responds and a home skit evaluation where each contestant must develop a one-minute, six-second skit to be performed during “Hang on Sloopy.”
To be able to try out, the contestant must have a 2.0 grade point average and be a full-time student.
Moor, a sophomore in communication at the Lima campus of Ohio State, came into the tryouts with the experience of being her high school’s mascot for two years. Her old Elida, Ohio, Bulldog costume was about the same size as the Brutus outfit.
“The Brutus mascot’s costume was comfortable,” Moor said. “It felt like I was back in high school again. It felt great.”
Moor became the mascot while cheering in high school. “When people look at the cheerleaders they are all the same, but there is only one mascot. I thought it would be more fun,” she said.
2008 Woodie Awards