Highlight Of The Football Weekend? Could Be This 66-Year-Old Freshman Band Member At LSU

Never stop chasing your dreams.

We’re officially in the most wonderful time of the year. College football? Back. NFL football? All the way BACK. Crisp, fall air on the way? You bet. Christmas in undoubtedly great, but I’d argue that the beginning of the football season – when most of the gridiron action is still out in front of us – is really the best part of the calendar year.

And how can you not be romantic about football? I know I’m borrowing that saying from a different sport (baseball, Moneyball to be more specific), but it’s true. The touchdowns, the tailgates, the turnovers… it’s all peak fandom. Though it’s all about the action on the field, the beauty of the sport is that sometimes the fan – or another football-adjacent character – gets to share in the football spotlight.

We saw a taste of that when a Missouri fan had the chance to kick a field goal and win $25,000, and instead opted to use it as an opportunity to stick it to their rival: Kansas. He pulled up his shirt, displaying a vulgar message directed at the Kansas Jayhawks, and then kicked the ball towards the Kansas fans.

Long story short, the guy passed up on $25,000 to let the opposing team know how much he and other Mizzou fans hate them.

I’d say that could have been the highlight of the football weekend, but there was one other, more wholesome thing that captured the attention of the masses. The world found out about and was introduced to a freshman LSU band member. Why? Were they that talented with their instrument that they stood out? Did a football get stuck in their tuba?

Nope… the “freshman” just so happens to be 66-years-old.

That’s not A.I. folks. That’s Kent Broussard… a man who grew up dreaming of being in the LSU band, who then went on to live a regular life with a job and a family, and then decided to fulfill his dream of being in the Louisiana school’s marching band after he retired.

As to how that came to be, Broussard went back to school and started practicing tuba again. He had to try out like anyone else, and the band director ultimately thought he had what it took to be a part of the Tigers band. Throughout the process, Kent’s wife Cheryl was supportive, but told CBS News that she was a little confused as to what band he was trying out for:

“At first I was like, ‘Do they have like a senior band?’ I mean, I wasn’t sure what he was exactly talking about. And it was the real band.”

It sure was the real band, and now Kent Broussard is a real star… at least on social media. Obviously there were some jokes thrown his way, with Kent being a “66-year-old freshman.” But others found the viral moment inspiring. Broussard may have missed out on the LSU band in the portion of his life where one typically tries out that dream. However, he never gave up entirely, and made his vision a reality when most others his age are winding their lives down.

When asked about chasing his dream, the 66-year-old college band musician had this to say:

“Try it. The only thing you can do is fail. Your only failure is not trying.” 

Shoutout to Kent Broussard: an inspiring story and an absolute college band star.The post Highlight Of The Football Weekend? Could Be This 66-Year-Old Freshman Band Member At LSU first appeared on Whiskey Riff.