Austin Brizee was just trying to get a free lunch, and now he may end up getting a spot on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Brizee is a trumpet player in Ohio State’s marching band, and as The Columbus Dispatch reports, a bet he made with some friends to earn a free lunch at Chipotle has earned him a tryout to be on the team. Following a band practice at Ohio State’s Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Brizee bet two of his friends that he could kick a 55-yard field goal. If he did, they’d have to buy Chipotle for him. If he didn’t, lunch was on him.
Brizee made the kick, and the marching band tweeted video of it from its official Twitter account. The video got plenty of attention, including from Ohio State’s assistant director of player personnel, Eron Hodges. Hodges then texted Brizee and offered him a chance at a walk-on tryout. The tryout is yet to happen, but Brizee is preparing for it with former Ohio State kicker Kyle Clinton coaching him up.
For his part, Clinton thinks Brizee can make the team.
“He has all the ability in the world,” Clinton told the Dispatch. “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.”
It won’t be easy to earn the spot for Brizee, however. Sean Nuernberger missed all of last season after suffering a groin injury in camp, but he’s back and healthy in 2017. Ohio State also added three-star kicker Blake Haubeil in its 2017 recruiting class. In other words, Brizee will have to be really impressive to earn a spot on the team.
Maybe he should bet his friends some Chipotle that he can get on the team. It’s already worked once.
Hey @OSUCoachMeyer @OsuCoachCoombs, you guys need a kicker for Saturday? @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/e1UQWU0Nk1
— OSU Marching Band (@TBDBITL) December 27, 2016