CINCINNATI – Jeremiah Brickler didn't know what all the fuss was about until we showed him.
The alto sax player has performed with the University of Cincinnati band for five years and had never fallen, he says. Turns out he was saving it for national TV.
But Brickler is rolling with the ribbing he took from ESPN broadcasters and social media since video of his spill went viral after Thursday night's football game.
"Ha. It's actually pretty cool," Brickler said after watching the video and listening to the broadcasters' reaction for the first time.
"Guys, the great tradition of Cincinnati band wipeouts continued earlier today ... ohhhhhh."
That's when ESPN showed Brickler taking a tumble in front of over a million eyeballs.
The announcers rooted him on.
"My man got up. I mean, he got up, and stayed with it, Jess."
"Are you saying he got off the canvas, Joe?"
"He's looking good. The teeth are intact."
"I don't know, maybe he was wearing a mouth guard there, but the teeth are intact."
"Good looking teeth."
When all was said and done, Brickler was no worse for his wipeout.
"It sort of sucks to be like, I had to fall. I get that, but, eh, it is what it is," he said.
The Bearcat Band has a long tradition of swarming the field by running down the steps in the horseshoe end of the stadium - through the student cheering section.
"They make a lot of racket," band director Terren Frenz said. "They come down the stairs fast."
Another UC band member took a similar tumble during a game in 2012.
But Frenz said it's not dangerous.
"Nobody literally runs down those steps," he said.
Brickler said he slipped on the wet turf and the steps had nothing to do with his fall.
"I pretty much lost traction," he said.
"And being the good student he was, leaped back up, saxophone in hand, and ran to his place," Frenz noted.
Jeremiah Brickler
So even with a little network needling, Brickler, Frenz and the rest of the band stick by their motto that dates back some 95 years.
"The UC band is damn good," Frenz said.
