Soccer was his first calling at Bellbrook High School. Putting on the mascot uniform to perform at basketball games was “something I did for fun.”
He was good enough to earn first team All-Area and second team Division II All-Ohio soccer honors in high school. His scoring and passing abilities were good enough to make him a starter for the Ohio Northern men’s soccer team.
But the entertainer in his soul kept calling.
Now Bolibrzuch is more visible than he ever was on the soccer field. He is Brutus Buckeye. That living, breathing symbol of Ohio State football and other athletic endeavors associated with OSU.
There are three male members of the Ohio State cheerleading squad who are Brutus. “We rotate at the different home football games,” he said. “I got to do two homes games this season, which is great.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be right there on the sidelines or up in the crowd at Buckeye football games.”
Football is just one of the events where those playing Brutus make appearances. “The three of us that do Brutus usually do two or three events a week,” said Bolibrzuch. “It may be an athletic event, alumni outing or corporate gathering.
“I didn’t realize just how much demand there is for Brutus around the state until I got on the squad.”
Bolibrzuch was one of the area’s top scorers his senior soccer season of 2005. Numerous colleges were interested him, but he chose Ohio Northern, which has a large number of area players on its roster.
He was getting some playing time early in his freshman season of 2006, when an ankle injury ended his year. He came back strong as a sophomore with six goals and eight assists.
“I had a good year, and we won as a team,” he said. “But I was getting burned out on soccer. I was really getting into my major in sports marketing. I knew I’d have to transfer to a bigger school if I wanted to go anyplace with it.”
So he decided on Ohio State, which is a massive sports marketing machine.
“I saw an ad about trying out to be Brutus,” he said. “It sounded like fun to me. So I went to the tryouts. I did OK with some of the stuff. The advisor (Lenee Buchman) said I needed some more experience working with the public.”
During his summers, Bolibrzuch had gotten a job with the Dayton Dragons baseball team.
He was part of the “Green Team,” which helps run between-inning skits and stunts with mascots Heater and Gem.
So the summer of 2008, he honed his skills working the crowd, interacting with fans and generally being more animated.
The work paid off; he made the Buckeye cheerleading squad.
Bolibrzuch has not given up soccer. He is a member of the Ohio State club team, which is one of the best in the Midwest. “You can only have three guys on your roster with any previous college experience,” he said. “There’s a ton of guys on campus who were great high school and club players, but are concentrating on their books.
“So we’re pretty good. We’re in a Midwest league, and the playoffs start this week. I think we have a shot at making it to the national club finals. The games don’t interfere with any of my obligations being Brutus. So it’s good. I still get a chance to play soccer at a competitive level and enjoy the other parts of college life.”
About the Author