Destined to be Brutus: Mary Burnett Brown, 1981-82
You would think that a student who had been the Bryan High School Golden Bear would want to try out for Brutus, especially one who had been an Ohio State fan long before she enrolled. This student, Mary Burnett, did long to be Ohio State’s mascot, BUT (imagine a big dead end sign) she couldn’t see the logic in going from the mobile, crowd-engaging Surewin the Golden Bear to the 1980 version of Brutus, slowly tottering around the field with a heavy round head that required the arms to be inside, sorely limiting antics.
In late April of her sophomore year in 1981, Mary couldn’t believe what she was reading in
The Lantern. On the front page, assistant Athletic Director Richard Delaney was announcing plans for a revised outfit for Brutus that would make the mascot more mobile. A conceptual drawing showed Brutus with a smaller head on the shoulders, wearing a letter sweater and pants and carrying a megaphone. Interested students were invited to sign up for tryouts.
Mary recalls about 42 others went to the meeting where they learned of the expectations for tryouts in May. They needed to dance to
Hang on Sloopy, do a basketball handling routine and perform a skit.
Mary spent the next month preparing. Two of her Pi Phi sorority sisters who were cheerleaders helped her with the dance routine. The basketball routine was a cinch. She had played full court women’s basketball at Bryan HS and intermural basketball at Ohio State’s Larkins Hall. For the skit, Mary created an encounter with the Michigan Wolverine.
By the time of tryouts, the field was down to 12. Mary said, “No one else had practiced.” At the end of the skit, the judges huddled and made the announcement that the new Brutus would be Mary Burnett. The life lesson she learned was, “If you follow through, there’s a good chance you’ll get it.”
Delaney gave Mary full rein to create her own costume. Over the summer, Mary worked with Donna Burns, a Pi Phi alumna she knew from Bryan, to create the new look for Brutus.
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