Canzano: Go to the rodeo? Or have the rodeo come to you?
Jesse Brown gave up college football for rodeo.
Jesse Brown is a rodeo champion who barnstorms around North America as part of a four-man crew, jumping off horses, wrestling steers, and chasing prize money. He also happens to be a former Washington State walk-on quarterback.
More on that in a bit.
I told you this week that I wanted to write a little about the rodeo. I dashed off a quick note to Brown, who grew up in Baker City. The 32-year-old has risen to the top of the world rankings in his sport. I figured I’d get a call back a day or three later from a publicist or a media-relations staffer who works for one of his sponsors.
Maybe we’d set up an interview for next week?
Nope.
The steer wrestler himself called me within two minutes. He was in Canada, knee-deep in the Calgary Stampede rodeo, checking messages and enjoying a quiet moment of solitude before wrestling his next steer.
“I ain’t doin’ nothing but sitting out here watching two of our horses on the green grass getting something to eat,” he told me.