Dave Carwile doesn’t draw a salary from the Ohio State University Marching Band, but his volunteer career as voice of the band has spanned four directors and five football coaches.
The onetime TBDBITL cymbals player (1975-79) will be honored at today’s pregame show as he begins a not-quite-retirement from the role.
“I’m calling it ‘stepping back,’” said Carwile, who had barely graduated when he was first asked, in 1980, to fill in for a regular announcer who didn’t feel like making the bus ride to a chilly away game.
In the years since, he has filled a number of support roles, including making Ohio Stadium’s increasingly high-tech scoreboards part of the band show.