The greatest honor in college football turns 70 this year and ESPN’s Ivan Meisel recently discussed “How to dot the “i”.
Fortunately, Meisel turns the keyboard over to Ohio State band member Clint Phillips. Phillips explains the entire process but best captured the emotion:
…”While marching through the Script that day, I took some time to look around the stadium a little bit and the emotions started to overcome me. When I got to the bottom of the little “o” of Script Ohio, I stopped playing and clearly heard someone on the sideline yell … “You’re about to dot the ‘i!’ Go get ‘em!” I leaned forward a little to slap the drum major’s hand, and my friend marching behind me, Wes Clark, was yelling and screaming for me.
…”When I got to the top of the ‘i,’ I bowed to the east side of Ohio Stadium with tears in my eyes,” Phillips said. “I did my kick turn to face the west side and did the low bow and couldn’t hold the tears back.”
If that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye.
For the record, Phillips is from my Alma Mater, Findlay High School, where I played trumpet in the band. While I never dotted the “i”, I proudly held down my spot in Findlay’s block “F”.
