Every fall Saturday thousands of Buckeyes travel to Ohio Stadium and every week they are greeted by the same welcoming faces: the redcoats. This is the story of Dick Gorenflo, an unsung hero of game day.
Dick Gorenflo is a born and raised Buckeye. His love for Ohio State originated with the legendary Woody Hayes when he was growing up and now he suits up every fall Saturday to welcome thousands into Ohio Stadium. For Gorenflo, being a Buckeye just keeps getting better with age.
A Marion, Ohio native, Gorenflo comes from an entire Buckeye family. In his own words he "bleeds scarlet and gray" and despises that team up north. Now 70-years-old, Gorenflo was a Buckeye fan long before he put the redcoat uniform on. He's stuck with the team through all of its ups and downs, his favorite eras being that of legends Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Joe Germain, and Pete Johnson.
"We used to say 'Give me nine yards and Pete will give me the tenth,'" Gorenflo said of one of his favorite Buckeyes.
Gorenflo started out working at the Team Shop for the Rebounders Club, an organization promoting Ohio State women’s basketball, when one day he got a call from one of his friends who simply asked, “Would you like to become an usher?” And the rest is history. He got put on a waiting list until his name finally got called six years later. Gorenflo walked into the Shoe as a redcoat for the first time in 2010 and he's been welcoming fans into the beloved stadium ever since.
“When I started I told my wife it was the best volunteering job I’ve ever had. I get to park for free, I get a voucher for food, and I get to watch the game – and then they started paying us,” Gorenflo said.
There are a few things about the redcoats in Ohio Stadium that stand out to the crowd. The first being their overwhelming friendliness and obvious love for the part that they play in Ohio State game day. The second being that they all have a unique collection of pins on their hats. Each pin tells a story.
“Most people pay for their pins, but the cool thing about mine is that they are all free pins that have been given to me over the years,” Gorenflo said of his collection.
The pins donning Gorenflo's hat tell a story. Some were given to Gorenflo by Ohio State, including one from his son’s senior year at the university in 1997. He has one of Jack Nicklaus and one for the time he spent officiating high school sports. Of course he has a few of Ohio State's mascot, Brutus, and one of the American flag.
One of the things Gorenflo appreciates most about the gig is the people he meets along the way. He especially enjoys welcoming Ohio State fans to the Shoe for their first time, which is why the spring game is one of his favorite events to work.
“At the spring game the last two years we had 100,000 people. A lot of people who had never been in the Shoe were able to come for the first time. For just a five-dollar ticket, they were able to experience all of the Buckeye hoopla,” Gorenflo said.
Other than the Spring Game, the most memorable moment Gorenflo has spent in Ohio Stadium was the Michigan game in 2012 when the students stormed past him to rush the field. The previous year Ohio State lost to Michigan for the first time in seven years, 40-34 in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes were still mourning the loss of Jim Tressel and under the new direction of head coach Luke Fickell. It was truly a dark day in Ohio State lore. But never fear, in 2012 the team came back stronger than ever under the fearless leadership of Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes capped off an undefeated season with a 26-21 victory over that team up north in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State was suspended from making a bowl game appearance, so this was the season finale and Gorenflo had no chance of holding back the stampede of scarlet and gray.
"They [fans] rushed past, pinned me up against the railing, and stormed the field," said Gorenflo. I just so happened to be one of those people.
Throwback to my first time rushing the field in 2012 #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/WSwB3tP9ZB
— Magee Sprague (@MageeSprague) December 11, 2016
Gorenflo is always stationed at what he calls the best portal in the Shoe, the student section. He stands right in front of Block "O" South, the rowdiest section in Ohio Stadium. You would think that would be a lot to handle, but the ushers stationed there love it.
“We are the best crew in the Shoe,” Gorenflo said of his fellow redcoats.
Not only do the ushers appreciate the students, but the students appreciate the ushers too. Students get there up to four hours before kick off and the "best crew in the Shoe" is always there to welcome them home.
Part of the reason Gorenflo loves his spot in Block "O" is because he is right in the middle of all of Ohio Stadium's game day traditions, his favorite being the singing of Carmen Ohio with the players and students at the end of the game.
"Urban is a class act," the redcoat said of Ohio's favorite football coach. "I love the traditon of Urban giving each player a hug as they walk in, that is very classy."
This usher has one bold prediction for this Ohio State football team: 2016 National Champions.
