By Jessica Morrow
Reporter

When the Ohio State University Marching Band takes the field on September 13, Grove City native Brayden Hyder will step into one of the most iconic roles in college football: dotting the “i” in Script Ohio.

Hyder, a fourth-year sousaphone player who is majoring in Landscape Architecture, has been dreaming of this moment since the day he first picked up the instrument in sixth grade.

“I originally wanted to play the clarinet,” he said, “but when I saw the big shiny tuba, the instructors encouraged me to try it. I played my first note, it was terrible, but I never looked back”.

For Hyder, the path to this honor has been nearly a decade in the making. Since joining the band in 2022, he’s endured long rehearsals, rigorous tryouts, and the pressure of knowing only a select few ever achieve this distinction.

“It’s 10 years in the making for one minute,” he said. “I don’t want to mess it up, because 100,000 people are expecting perfection”.

His family couldn’t be more proud. “They’re absolutely stoked,” Hyder said, noting that his parents have been quick to share the news across town.

Growing up with an OSU-themed bedroom, it feels fitting that he will now play a central part in one of the university’s greatest traditions.

Hyder admits to nerves but looks forward most to the roar of the crowd as he takes his place. He has even adopted a lighthearted ritual: listening to Christmas music before every game.

For him, dotting the “i” is more than a performance, it’s the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

“It means I’m finishing out my first dream,” Hyder said, “Not many are so lucky to achieve a dream this big.”