NEWS

Super fan Big Nut wants to pay it forward

Craig Shoup
Reporter

FREMONT - A Fremont man best known for being a face-painted, buckeye-wearing Ohio State super fan is just as passionate away from the field. He devotes his free time to helping others, providing scholarships, appearing at local charity events, and donating his time to helping people in need.

Most days, Jon Peters, 54, is a normal face in the crowd who makes his living working at the Whirlpool factory in Clyde.

But on Saturdays, including the big showdown against arch rival Michigan, Peters is transformed into one of the most recognizable characters in Ohio, sporting a head full of scarlet-and-gray paint, an Ohio State jersey, and copious amounts of buckeye-nut necklaces.

Despite his Big Nut super fan persona, Peters said he would rather be known as a super humanitarian as he continues serving Sandusky Country residents with his Big Nut Scholarship Foundation, started in 2011, which gives out thousands of dollars for college to area high school seniors.

Aug 30, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes fan Jon Peters  cheers for his team during the first quarter against the Navy Midshipmen at M&T Bank Stadium. Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Navy Midshipmen 34-17.Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

"It's my way to pay it forward," Peters said in an interview on Tuesday. "We've given out 21 scholarships and more than $10,000 since we started."

Despite the scholarships, delivering meals to people in need on Thanksgiving, and raising money for worthy causes, Peters said he often wonders if he is doing enough.

"Sometimes I feel that way. I think I am more caring because of this, but I do ask myself if I am doing enough," he said.

One idea Peters is entertaining is restarting a local chapter of the Ohio State Alumni Association.

"They used to have an Ohio State Alumni Association in Sandusky County. I want to get that going again to help raise money for worthy causes," said Peters, who lives in Riley Township.

Being the Bug Nut is fun for Peters and is something he does to support his favorite team. But more importantly, he said, he wants to put a smile on fans' faces.

Peters has become an iconic figure at Ohio State football games as fans of every team — including some from the University of Michigan — ask to have their photos taken with the Big Nut.

"It's an honor to me that someone wants to take a picture with me," Peters said.

The Big Nut has been dressing for games since 2003, an idea that he traces to a 1995 Ross High School Athletic Boosters' event at Ole Zim's Wagon Shed in Gibsonburg.

"I remember the prize for best dressed being an Ohio State snowman that I wanted for my man cave. I ended up winning it, and the next year we stepped it up with face paint and won a second snowman," Peters said.

Becoming the Big Nut is not an easy process, Peters said, as the makeup applied by his wife Terese (whom he lovingly calls "The First Lady Nut") and donning the elaborate costume can take up to two hours to complete.

Aug 30, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Jon Peters (center) stands with the Navy Midshipmen during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Navy Midshipmen 34-17.Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

When Ohio State plays a noon game in Columbus, Peters and Terese are up at 4 a.m.

"We get some funny looks driving down U.S. 23 to games," Peters said. "Sometimes people roll their window down and want a buckeye necklace, so I throw them one. There are probably some necklaces along the roadway," Peters said with a laugh.

Like many Buckeye fans, Peters' love for Ohio State is life-long. It all began when he and grandpa Paul Schepflin would listen to games on the radio.

If there was any doubt for Peters about his association with the scarlet and gray, it was erased when he went to his first Ohio State game with Schepflin in 1976.

Peters said he didn't exactly ease into the world of Buckeye football: The first game he attended at The Horseshoe was against Michigan, a rivalry simply known as "The Game."

"It was a priceless moment. The thing that stood out was the intensity. We lost the game and it cost us a Rose Bowl trip, but the atmosphere was priceless," Peters recalled.

Although some memories of past games have faded somewhat, that 1976 game remains crystal clear to Peters. It was bittersweet because the Buckeyes lost to their rival 22-0, but Fremont's own Rob Lytle — Peters' favorite Ross athlete — carved up the Ohio State defense, rushing for 165 yards and one touchdown.

Peters said he can't remember the last time he's missed a home game as the Big Nut.

"The last bowl game I missed was the 2011 Sugar Bowl against Arkansas, and that was because my daughter was giving birth to our second grandchild," Peters said. "For me it is God, family and then football."

Over the years, Peters said some games, win or lose, were unforgettable.

His most memorable game is the 2002 National Championship when a double-digit underdog Buckeye team beat the Miami Hurricanes in two overtimes to win its first national football championship since 1970.

With all the games both home and away, and traveling across the country for bowl games, Peters said tickets, hotels and meals can be expensive. He saves his vacation days at Whirlpool for all road trips and pays his own way as a Buckeyes season ticket holder.

"It can cost $10,000 a year for road games, but Terese and I like to make it a trip. When we went to Rutgers (in Piscataway, New Jersey) we ended up going to New York City. We consider these trips our 'retirement.' We live for the now," Peters said.

Being the Big Nut has its advantages, but the fame of being an iconic fan also comes with a threat of possible harm from fans of opposing teams.

Heading into the stadiums on road trips, Peters said he usually walks with a group of Buckeye fans to help protect him from physical violence.

He recalls a cool October night when Ohio State was going ot play the Penn State Nittany Lions at Happy Valley. Not only did the Buckeyes lose, but Peters was blindsided by a Penn State backer in the parking lot.

While tailgating in a sea of white and blue Nittany Lions fans, Peters and his group went over to a tent where his friends wanted to have a drink.

Peters, who said he does not drink alcohol before or during a game, had one beer and wanted to get into the stadium. It was his first trip to Beaver Stadium, where more than 100,000 fans were about to watch the game between two teams that were ranked in the Top Ten.

"I was walking up a hill, and all I heard was hut-hut, which, as a former football player, I know that means someone is coming at you. I look down and see a man in a three-point stance come running towards me," Peters said. "Before I knew it, he blindsided me."

The hit was painful. Peters said he encourages people to cheer hard, but safely, for their favorite team.

"I had my knee replaced early that year and after the hit, about a year later, I had to replace my knee again. It was tough to make trips to Penn State after that, and I didn't the next time. I eventually decided I had to get over it and go again. And I did."

Peters said he receives a fair share of heckling but takes it in stride, especially at Michigan games.

"I had someone throw a hot dog bun at me one time. I turned around and said, 'Can you at least throw the hot dog down, too?'" he said.

While walking out of a game at Michigan Stadium, Peters said one fan tried spitting on him. But for the most part, Peters said the fans at Michigan are civilized with him, and some even ask to take pictures with the Ohio State super fan.

"One time, I saw a Brutus Buckeye (toy) at a tailgate tent hanging from a noose, I looked over and wagged my finger," Peters said.

Despite his super fan status at Ohio State, Peters says the school has never reached out to him for any official role as an ambassador for the football program.

Instead, Peters stays humbled and hopes his Big Nut legacy carries on long after he is gone.

"The Big Nut won't be here forever, but hopefully the Big Nut spirit will be," he said.

On Saturday, Peters will head north to Ann Arbor to cheer on the Buckeyes when they meet the Wolverines for the 112th time.

With both teams ranked in the Top 15 in national polls, Peters expects the game to be a high-scoring and competitive one.

"I think Ohio State wins 35-28," he predicted.

No matter the outcome, expect to find Peters on the stadium's big screen at some point during the game, forming an "O-H" and waiting for a return, "I-O."

cshoup@gannett.com

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Twitter: CraigShoupNH