Ohio State grad goes viral in Brutus Buckeye reveal video

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- When 2025 Ohio State University graduate Emily Hayward started her college career during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was looking for a way to get involved on campus. 

She always knew she liked sports, but never imagined where her love for athletics and personality would take her.

"I grew up playing sports and then came to Ohio State," she said. "I loved the athletic atmosphere and the tradition of Ohio State. I came during COVID timeframe, so kind of hard to get involved outside of academics and ended up running into the Brutus that was graduating the year that I tried out."

Hayward decided to go for it. She tried out to be Brutus, a position only three women had ever fulfilled.

"The tryout process was predominantly male. There were a few other women that tried out with me, and, it was one of those things where I'm like, I've seen it done before. Emily Williams did it in 2002. So, I knew it was possible. I was just I think it I think it does come down boil down to, like, personality and, confidence in yourself and just kind of going for it," she said.

Hayward described the tryout as a three-part process. The first part was an audition. She said she didn't have to prepare anything in advance, like a choreographed routine. 

"It's a lot of creativity and improv there, kind of just trying to see how you think," she said. "So, the tryout itself, there's like a dancing section, improv section, Brutus's signature moves. So that would be like headbang, handstand, push-ups, all of that stuff. You just go and try to be yourself, be creative, be funny and hope for the best."

After the audition, Hayward got called back for an interview. Then she waited, hoping for the best, but not getting her hopes up. When she got the call, she said, "I was honestly in disbelief. Shock. It was really surreal going into it,"

She was now the fourth woman ever to be Brutus Buckeye.

From that time, she had a lot to learn, but made a ton of memories along the way.

"It took me about a year, probably, to feel comfortable, Hayward said. "Being Brutus, becoming, like, getting into his character and everything."

Being Brutus isn't for the weak. There are several students who do the job, so the person under the Buckeye Nut headgear isn't always the same.

"We don't have a winter break, no summer break," Hayward said. "We're on campus pretty much 365 days a year."

You'll see Brutus Buckeye on television commercials like the Nissan Heisman House commercial Hayward shot with legendary Buckeye Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George. You'll see Brutus lead the team onto the field carrying a flag and hyping up the crowd. Hayward led the team onto the field and through the infamous "quick cals" before the National Championship game in Atlanta this year.

But, of all the things she was able to do as Brutus, she said her favorite were some of the lesser-known events.

"My favorite events were always the smaller ones," Hayward said. "I loved the intimate interactions that I got to have. It's like, I always try to say, like, I hope I never forget what it feels like to see the world from behind Brutus and smile because, like his, his impact on a room is so, so incredible. So, like, hospital visits, people are at the lows in their life and various walks into the room, and it's like, just like, light up with joy."

The life of Brutus is somewhat thankless for the students behind the mask. Part of the "lore" of Brutus is that the students who play Brutus are kept secret throughout their career at Ohio State. Hayward didn't realize how big of a deal it was, especially for a woman. Then she posted a video on TikTok, a clever transition to reveal her identity as the person behind the mascot.

"It's almost 4 million and like likes, it's like 500,000 or something crazy," she said.

The video went viral. That's when it hit her how big of a deal it was.

"It was a part of my day-to-day life; I did it for most of my college career, so coming out of it and seeing everyone else's reaction, I think it kind of put it into perspective for me that it that it wasn't as normal as it was to me, my family, my friends," Hayward said.

"The reaction has been so surreal," she added. "I wasn't like, wasn't expecting it at all. Kind of just posted it for, again, like my own, remembrance of everything and just to capture the experience. And then it blew up and it's been so cool to see. It's been mostly it's been a very positive reactions and people have been so supportive. A lot of it just goes around like, I just never thought it would be a woman or never thought it'd be a female. And again, so positive, like, people are just saying, so cool."

The last woman to be Brutus was also named Emily. That Emily was Brutus in 2002, when this Emily was born.